The Art of Selling to Procurement Professionals

The Art of Selling to Procurement Professionals

Sales organisations are increasingly having to deal with procurement professionals who exert real pressure on price and are keen to get the very best deal for themselves. Salespeople can sell well, but when it comes to crafting the commercial deal, they can fail at the last hurdle. This three-day intensive MasterClass equips delegates with the skills needed to deal successfully with professional buyers and their buying organisations. It is designed to gives salespeople a real insight into the mind of the buyer and to give them the negotiating skills necessary to present their own case well and ensure that value is not left on the table.

Negotiation does not necessarily come naturally, but the good news is that its techniques can be readily learnt and put into practice. This MasterClass emphasises the need for thorough preparation and then takes delegates through a four-step negotiation process: from opening, to exchanging information and debating, to proposing and bargaining and finally to closing the negotiation and reaching agreement. Delegates are also taught how to deal with difficult people and to handle common tricks and traps.

There is an emphasis on acquiring the “soft skills” necessary to negotiate well – communication, persuasion and building trust. And the effects of personality and culture are explored. In tough negotiations it is essential to understand where you sit in the market, what your strengths and weaknesses are and where you derive your bargaining power from.

This is a lively MasterClass with a chance for delegates to network with others, learn by discovery while taking part in a number of role-play scenarios, look hard at their own organisation and its position in the market and improve their ability to negotiate the best deals.

Feedback on individual performance is given and delegates will receive full course notes a variety of templates and access to further sources of information and expertise.

By attending this masterclass you will be able to:

• Secure vital sales deals by standing out from the competition
• Negotiate better terms with your customers – more volume and greater margins
• Understand the mind of the purchasing professional – what drives them
• Understand your organisation’s strengths and weaknesses and where it sits in the market
• Master the fundamentals of successful negotiation
• Use this knowledge to negotiate confidently and effectively to create additional value for you and your organisation
• Create power for yourselves and dispel unhelpful notions of what is or isn’t fair
• Put in place effective preparation strategies for negotiation
• Move through each step of the negotiation process, from opening to closing
• Trade effectively and make the right concessions
• Understand how gender, personality and culture affect attitudes and behaviour in negotiation
• Put yourselves in your customer’s shoes and see things from their point of view
• Communicate effectively, persuade, influence and build trust
• Make the right trade-offs between results and relationship
• Develop strategies for the dealing with difficult people
• Avoid difficulties, and handle conflict effectively
• Determine what it takes to measure your success in negotiation

Who should attend

This highly practical and interactive MasterClass has been specifically designed for:

• Salespeople
• Sales managers
• General managers

It will also be suitable for budget holders, finance managers and other staff who are involved in the selling process and who wish to improve their margins when dealing with procurement professionals and with buyers in general.

Meet your course directors:

Steve Mallaband

Steve is a procurement professional with over 20 years’ experience, and has held senior positions with several large organisations both in the UK and abroad. He has carried out many negotiations during this time for all shapes and sizes of commercial deal. He fully understands the challenges faced by salespeople and has gained a huge respect for those at the top of their trade. For the last 7 years he has provided training and consultancy to a variety of clients around the globe and is a knowledgeable, interesting and entertaining presenter who is able to draw on his practical experience to excellent effect.

Ros Howard

Ros is a professional business trainer with a rich and varied career in industry and education. She believes that excellence in negotiation, communication and other “soft skills” is vital for business success and has a real passion for instilling learning in others. For the last 10 years she has provided training, coaching and consultancy to a variety of clients in many different countries and from many different organisations. She is a dynamic and inspiring presenter who, having taught English as a Foreign Language, is particularly sensitive to the needs of the non-native English speakers.

Steve and Ros work together to deliver this Negotiating with Procurement Professionals MasterClass, offering you the best of both worlds – a very experienced practitioner backed by an expert in communication and soft skills.