Building Good Supplier Relationships, Part II<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>PurchTips edition #393<\/p>\n<\/div>
Are You Likeable To Your Suppliers?<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>In the\u00a0last edition of PurchTips\u00a0, I wrote about how a key to building good supplier relationships is being a likeable person. I also shared the first of five things procurement professionals can do to be more likeable. Here are the remaining four:<\/p>\n
2. Build Rapport.<\/strong>\u00a0Too often, we want to \u201cjust get down to business.\u201d Within 30 seconds of starting a meeting, we\u2019re already discussing business matters. That\u2019s not always good. Small talk \u2013 asking about your contact\u2019s family, hobbies, background, etc. \u2013 helps make you more likeable. When you remember your contact\u2019s interests and begin meetings by bringing those things up, it makes you more likeable. This may not seem important until you need \u201cover and above the call of duty\u201d level help. By then, it\u2019s too late. Your supplier has already prioritized bigger and more likeable customers.<\/p>\n3. Make Regular Contact.<\/strong>\u00a0Speak with your strategic supplier contacts at all times, including when things are going smoothly. If you\u2019re only heard from when things go wrong, it\u2019s hard to be any supplier\u2019s favorite customer.<\/p>\n4. Compliment Your Contact To The Right People.<\/strong>\u00a0If your contact is not the CEO, s\/he has a boss. When you and your contact are in the presence of his\/her boss, compliment your contact with something like \u201cIt\u2019s been such a pleasure working with Sharon. She\u2019s a true customer advocate and rises up to every challenge.\u201d Things like that can positively influence your contact\u2019s performance appraisal and, thus, his\/her salary. Plus, it makes them feel good. When you make a difference in someone\u2019s life like that, they will go the proverbial extra mile to make sure you get especially good service.<\/p>\n5. Don\u2019t Go Too Crazy When Things Go Wrong.<\/strong>\u00a0As much as we think that smart procurement can eradicate all supplier performance problems, problems are bound to happen now and then. While it is important to communicate how dire your situation is in tough times, don\u2019t get nasty with your contact. The problem may not be your contact\u2019s fault, so personal insults, threats, and the like will only serve to hurt your relationship. Work at joint problem solving, a method that is improvable and sustainable. Going ballistic may occasionally get a situation resolved, but it\u2019s not a technique that will work repeatedly over the course of a long-term relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Want A More Rewarding Procurement Career?<\/h5><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/04\/success.jpg\" "\\"success\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
PurchTips edition #393<\/p>\n<\/div>
Are You Likeable To Your Suppliers?<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>In the\u00a0last edition of PurchTips\u00a0, I wrote about how a key to building good supplier relationships is being a likeable person. I also shared the first of five things procurement professionals can do to be more likeable. Here are the remaining four:<\/p>\n
2. Build Rapport.<\/strong>\u00a0Too often, we want to \u201cjust get down to business.\u201d Within 30 seconds of starting a meeting, we\u2019re already discussing business matters. That\u2019s not always good. Small talk \u2013 asking about your contact\u2019s family, hobbies, background, etc. \u2013 helps make you more likeable. When you remember your contact\u2019s interests and begin meetings by bringing those things up, it makes you more likeable. This may not seem important until you need \u201cover and above the call of duty\u201d level help. By then, it\u2019s too late. Your supplier has already prioritized bigger and more likeable customers.<\/p>\n3. Make Regular Contact.<\/strong>\u00a0Speak with your strategic supplier contacts at all times, including when things are going smoothly. If you\u2019re only heard from when things go wrong, it\u2019s hard to be any supplier\u2019s favorite customer.<\/p>\n4. Compliment Your Contact To The Right People.<\/strong>\u00a0If your contact is not the CEO, s\/he has a boss. When you and your contact are in the presence of his\/her boss, compliment your contact with something like \u201cIt\u2019s been such a pleasure working with Sharon. She\u2019s a true customer advocate and rises up to every challenge.\u201d Things like that can positively influence your contact\u2019s performance appraisal and, thus, his\/her salary. Plus, it makes them feel good. When you make a difference in someone\u2019s life like that, they will go the proverbial extra mile to make sure you get especially good service.<\/p>\n5. Don\u2019t Go Too Crazy When Things Go Wrong.<\/strong>\u00a0As much as we think that smart procurement can eradicate all supplier performance problems, problems are bound to happen now and then. While it is important to communicate how dire your situation is in tough times, don\u2019t get nasty with your contact. The problem may not be your contact\u2019s fault, so personal insults, threats, and the like will only serve to hurt your relationship. Work at joint problem solving, a method that is improvable and sustainable. Going ballistic may occasionally get a situation resolved, but it\u2019s not a technique that will work repeatedly over the course of a long-term relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Want A More Rewarding Procurement Career?<\/h5><\/div><\/span><\/div>Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
In the\u00a0last edition of PurchTips\u00a0, I wrote about how a key to building good supplier relationships is being a likeable person. I also shared the first of five things procurement professionals can do to be more likeable. Here are the remaining four:<\/p>\n
2. Build Rapport.<\/strong>\u00a0Too often, we want to \u201cjust get down to business.\u201d Within 30 seconds of starting a meeting, we\u2019re already discussing business matters. That\u2019s not always good. Small talk \u2013 asking about your contact\u2019s family, hobbies, background, etc. \u2013 helps make you more likeable. When you remember your contact\u2019s interests and begin meetings by bringing those things up, it makes you more likeable. This may not seem important until you need \u201cover and above the call of duty\u201d level help. By then, it\u2019s too late. Your supplier has already prioritized bigger and more likeable customers.<\/p>\n 3. Make Regular Contact.<\/strong>\u00a0Speak with your strategic supplier contacts at all times, including when things are going smoothly. If you\u2019re only heard from when things go wrong, it\u2019s hard to be any supplier\u2019s favorite customer.<\/p>\n 4. Compliment Your Contact To The Right People.<\/strong>\u00a0If your contact is not the CEO, s\/he has a boss. When you and your contact are in the presence of his\/her boss, compliment your contact with something like \u201cIt\u2019s been such a pleasure working with Sharon. She\u2019s a true customer advocate and rises up to every challenge.\u201d Things like that can positively influence your contact\u2019s performance appraisal and, thus, his\/her salary. Plus, it makes them feel good. When you make a difference in someone\u2019s life like that, they will go the proverbial extra mile to make sure you get especially good service.<\/p>\n 5. Don\u2019t Go Too Crazy When Things Go Wrong.<\/strong>\u00a0As much as we think that smart procurement can eradicate all supplier performance problems, problems are bound to happen now and then. While it is important to communicate how dire your situation is in tough times, don\u2019t get nasty with your contact. The problem may not be your contact\u2019s fault, so personal insults, threats, and the like will only serve to hurt your relationship. Work at joint problem solving, a method that is improvable and sustainable. Going ballistic may occasionally get a situation resolved, but it\u2019s not a technique that will work repeatedly over the course of a long-term relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.Want A More Rewarding Procurement Career?<\/h5><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/04\/epm-pic.jpg\" "\\"epm-pic\\"")
<\/span><\/div>