Many sales teams complain that the procurement function on their customer’s side is always keeping them at arm’s length, that buyers are only tactical and rarely focused on building value together with the supplier.
Why is procurement always so tactical?
Procurement professionals are tasked to manage supply risks and only leverage opportunities they see in the supplier markets very carefully.
The reality is: buyers are generally risk-averse. They need a high level of trust to lower their guard to allow suppliers and their sales managers in. It is the level of trust they have with their suppliers that determines if a value-based conversation makes sense for the buyer to entertain or if they remain tactical with their sales counterpart.
Addressing the buyer’s anxieties as a sales manager proactively can help establish that trust and hence turn the conversation from price to value.
Download our report and learn more about your buyer’s anxieties: