Negotiating with Procurement can be challenging. Here are five sales negotiation tactics sales professionals can use when negotiating with Procurement.

1. 5Tactics to Use with
Procurement
SALES NEGOTIATIONS:

2. • Dealing with third party negotiators
• Blind RFP’s
• Reverse auctions
• Commodity pricing
• Hardball sales negotiating tactics
Sales negotiations with Procurement
is an ongoing struggle:

3. By understanding Procurement's objectives…

4. It’s easier to work with Procurement
and achieve a successful sales outcome

5. 5 Common Negotiating Tactics
used by Procurement and their
Counter-Tactics

6. Deflect or Discredit your
Value Proposition
1
PROCUREMENT TACTIC:

7. To deconstruct your value proposition
so that they can then compare prices among vendors
PROCUREMENT GOAL:

8. Build stronger relationships with the business unit buyer
COUNTER TACTIC:

9. Develop strong customer
coaches and present a
compelling business case
for your solution
COUNTER TACTIC:

10. Commoditize and Control
Responses
2
PROCUREMENT TACTIC:

11. Procurement want to do an apples-to-apples comparison
with your competition
PROCUREMENT GOAL:

12. You need to convince the
business unit buyer
your product is different
COUNTER TACTIC:

13. Employ a value based sales approach that quantifies
the overall value of your solution
COUNTER TACTIC:

14. Present a total solution that
can’t be dismantled into
component pieces and
commoditized
COUNTER TACTIC:

15. Limit Access to
Business Contacts
3
PROCUREMENT TACTIC:

16. Procurement doesn’t want a business decision that
undermines or supersedes the procurement process
PROCUREMENT GOAL:

17. Build a strong network within the business organization
COUNTER TACTIC:

18. Leverage inside and outside
resources before Procurement
puts a gag-order on the vendors
COUNTER TACTIC:

19. If you’re told you can’t
contact anyone outside of
the RFP process...

20. ...you have a business decision
to make in terms of the
risks and rewards
of following those rules

21. Use Past Performance
Against You
4
PROCUREMENT TACTIC:

22. Procurement likes to have information about vendors to
drive down prices and negotiate a commodity deal
PROCUREMENT GOAL:

23. Be proactive. Anticipate issues and concerns that may
come up and have your responses prepared
COUNTER TACTIC:

24. Good Cop/Bad Cop and
Mystery Decision Maker(s)
5
PROCUREMENT TACTIC:

25. Procurement present additional decision makers or
hoops to jump through late in the process
PROCUREMENT GOAL:

26. Determine who all the decision makers are and
how the decision will be made
COUNTER TACTIC:

27. Procurement wants to keep
all of the vendors in the
game as long as possible in
order to provide
leverage against the
competition

28. Sales professionals typically
have more power in this
situation than realized

29. Don't let your sales solution be
diminished or commoditized by Procurement

30. As a sales professional, you
must be prepared to
counter these tactics…

31. …by planning, leveraging your relationships, and reinforcing
the shared interests and value proposition for your customer

32. Access Expert Advice on
Essential Sales Negotiation Skills
Download eBook
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33. By Ray Makela
@RayAMakela