You often hear sales and procurement referred to as two sides to the same coin, perhaps this is because when you look at them closely, the skills required for supplier relationship management (SRM) versus key account management (KAM) are very similar.
However this is usually where the similarities between the two functions end. But on closer reflection there are many areas where procurement could do well to learn from sales:
Recently I read an interesting article in this topic written by Eva Milko Sutton. As a procurement specialist and business consultant having served many disciplines for different companies over the years I can only agree with the authors deeper reflection about what procurement peers can learn from the sales profession.
Here is a brief summary on her five lessons what procurement department can learn from sales.
1. Crafting their value proposition - Knowing what value the procurement brings to the table.
2. Defining the Uniqueness and points of Differentiation – Knowing what makes the procurement function unique and why anyone should become enthusiastic about using their services.
3. Gaining a deeper insight into business personas and segmentation methods
Understanding the nuances and uniqueness of the stakeholders that procurement support.
4. Delivering a solution set that meets the needs of those they serve - Knowing how to adopt to the needs of the business.
5. Handling objections -Listening and understanding what’s important to your stakeholders internally and externally.
"The quality in a product or service is not what you put into it, it’s what the customer gets out of it if " quote Peter Drucker.
Missing out on these five things can make procurement department miss out on becoming one of the most valuable and trusted business partners in the company.
Agree? What are your opions?
If you want to read the whole article click on the link below:
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