Some of you know that I post quite a bit about working with procurement. There are a couple reasons. First, it’s mostly a painful and dreaded experience for those of us who sell. Second, because we’ve been consulting for over 20 years to both buying and selling teams, this practice has provided deep insight into the nature of that relationship.
Read MoreTags: business negotiations, Negotiating with procurement, speaking the language of procurement, business relationships in sales
Over ten years ago, after having spent more than 20 years a salesperson, VP sales and sales consultant, we secured our first contract to provide negotiation training for the procurement arm of a major US airline. I felt like the proverbial fox in the hen house!
As I was executing research to get ready for the assignment, I stumbled on an article stating that this organization had just won:
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Tags: brian dietmeyer, Negotiating with procurement, speaking the language of procurement
A blog from Buyer/Seller Insights points out that there is bad buying just like there is bad selling. They go further to suggest that sellers who can help procurement buy better will achieve a competitive advantage. We couldn't agree more.
One of the core problems we see is that sellers don't understand the role of procurement professionals and therefore get anchored on the price conversation with buyers. Part of this misunderstanding is this: how procurement buyers articulate their role–and the reality of what their role is, are actually two different things.
Read MoreTags: negotiation skills for sales, business negotiations, brian dietmeyer, competitive advantage, Negotiating with procurement, speaking the language of procurement
Whether you are in sales or procurement, we have the books you need to read.
For sales professionals:
