Customers you can't afford to lose are those customers who supply a good portion of your revenue or profit. Or they can be customers who are growing faster than the rest of the marketplace. The thought of losing one of these customers scares you so much that you might feel tightness in your stomach.
Read MoreWhether you are negotiating on the sell-side with your best accounts or negotiating with key and strategic suppliers, the leadership team needs to be clear on how suppliers can create value that flows through to your best accounts.
Read MoreIn a previous blog, we explored the market trends impacting B2B business negotiations and determined there were two main themes from these trends. The first of these being: Procurement - undervaluing suppliers.
The way organisations buy has become more sophisticated, so more companies have introduced professional procurement managers into their negotiations with suppliers. In today's business environment companies must pull every possible lever to improve profits, so getting a price reduction on a product or service is the easiest way to reduce costs. On face value getting cheaper prices seems an appropriate approach, however, we challenge that paradigm.
Read MoreThere are a few relentless market trends impacting how B2B companies do business. These market trends are long-term and impact the top and bottom lines of B2B companies around the world.
1. Customer Consolidation
2. Centralisation of Decision Making
3. Different Decision Makers
4. Increasing Competition
All of these market trends are making it harder to keep, win and grow customers profitably. What does this mean for your organisation?
Read MoreProcurement departments are perceived as only being focused on reducing prices, so many suppliers will avoid procurement where they can. Instead focusing their energy on building relationships and providing value for business unit contacts. So, suppliers only deal with procurement when they are forced to.
But is this too big a risk, how much influence do procurement have in your industry and how quickly is this influence growing?
Read MoreIf you’re considering implementing SAM but aren’t sure if it’s right for your business, then here is a real example of how SAM has increased results and transformed an already successful company.
Read MoreIn the health industry (medical products and pharmaceutical) we see procurement continuing to put pressure on prices. Why? ...
Read MoreAs some of you know, from the last blog that I have just returned from an executive workshop at the Harvard Law School, Boston, USA. One main message from the “Negotiation and Leadership” workshop was ...
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