5 Reasons Why Your Procurement People Should Learn To Negotiate Effectively

Negotiation

You’ve hired some good procurement people. Their skills are solid. They have experience. They’re a good fit in your organisation.

But – are they gun negotiators? Do they consistently get the best deals from suppliers? Are they always focused on YOUR bottom line?

If not, it’s time to consider the consequences – for your business – of poor negotiating tactics. Check out our 5 reasons for upping the ante on negotiation skills:

  1. You find out that another company has a better deal with the same supplier.
  2. You’re not getting discounts for bulk supplies.
  3. Some suppliers often leave you in the lurch with late deliveries.
  4. Getting after-sales service is like drawing hens’ teeth.
  5. One of your key suppliers has suddenly closed up shop and you have no back-up supplier.

So who do you turn to? How do you negotiate the best negotiation skills training deal to solve your procurement woes?

It’s Time to Upskill

It’s simple. Just book a Negotiation course with the Academy of Procurement. Their experienced facilitators know how to up skill your procurement people to become negotiating experts.

Start with the one-day Negotiation Essentials workshop, which explores the fascinating world of negotiation. The course involves exercises, case studies, presentations and trainer-facilitated discussions.

Your procurement people will learn the ‘go to whoa’ of the negotiation process, from what makes a good negotiator, to understanding the reasons for planning for negotiation, persuasion methods, controlling the negotiation process, and more. They’ll have the know-how to generate positive negotiation outcomes. This is a win-win situation – as they improve their negotiation skills, you improve your business bottom line.

And for procurement staff who are involved in high risk or high value arrangements, the Academy of Procurement’s intensive Advanced Negotiation 2-day workshop is a must.

There, they’ll learn how to design and implement negotiation plans for different relationship types, lead the negotiation process and use a variety of methods of persuasion to achieve desired negotiating outcomes. This workshop turns negotiating into a powerful tool for generating brilliant business outcomes.

5 Key Learning Outcomes

Now check out our 5 results from your procurement people after their training with the Academy of Procurement has armed them with great negotiation skills:

  1. They ensure that your company gets the same – or even better – deals as other companies you know
  2. Discounts are now an integral part of the negotiation process for bulk purchases
  3. Consistently late deliveries have been negotiated away
  4. After-sales service is ripe for negotiation picking – and hens can keep their teeth!
  5. All potential suppliers are thoroughly researched, so your business won’t be left without key goods and services in the event of a supplier going under.

Additionally, they know that if a potential supplier is eager for business they are more likely to negotiate a great deal with them than with one that has a monopoly on the market.

They know it’s important that both parties are confident that they’ve negotiated a good deal, and not feel that they’ve been strong-armed into an arrangement that causes ill-will as the business relationship progresses – or declines.

Knowledge is power,” Sir Francis Bacon wrote back in 1957. Give your procurement people negotiation knowledge so they can use it for successful on-going relationships with suppliers which then flow on to powerful benefits for your business.

Have a chat with us about how you can improve your Negotiation skills through one of our training programs or our corporate E-learning.

Consider what could be achieved by turning the dial on nous alone.

Well, our recently upgraded commercial acumen short course builds nous, quickly. Boosting your acumen will impact on how you operate, interact and influence.

The course requires x2 half-days from you (1 full day) in a virtual online setting (no need to travel). It is delivered by one of Australia’s top Procurement deal makers and offers you acumen in spades! It is perfect for those starting out in a commercial role, equally it can be used it to inspire new thinking around commercial value.

Get the course outline here >