As reported in an earlier post, one aspect of my current supply chain research is reviewing sales materials. And I\u2019ve specifically been reading \u201cSelling To Big Companies\u201d by Jill Konrath.<\/p>\n
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Well, aside from the nuggets I\u2019ve shared earlier, there wasn\u2019t much to learn from a \u201cmechanics of supply chain\u201d perspective from this book. It actually seems to be geared towards selling products and services that are \u201cunder the radar\u201d of a big company\u2019s sourcing strategy like one-time consulting services.<\/p>\n
But what I really liked about the book was the last chapter: \u201cThe Mindset of Success.\u201d Personally, I think us purchasers could use more of this type of inspirational material.<\/p>\n
So why doesn\u2019t PurchTips focus on inspirational material?<\/p>\n
Well, my audience tells me, in direct and indirect ways, that they prefer more step-by-step, technical educational purchasing articles. The unsubscribe rate tends to be higher when I deviate from those type of articles and share a more inspirational article.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it is tough to balance leadership with giving people what they want. But I believe in pleasing the customer, even if the customer is a free subscriber.<\/p>\n
One point that Jill makes in that last chapter is the process of turning painful mistakes into valuable learning experiences. Many editions of PurchTips are inspired by situations where I personally made a mistake, learned from it, and used a replacement approach successfully. We can certainly apply this in the supply chain.<\/p>\n
Another point of Jill\u2019s is holding yourself accountable, even if it is painful to do so. Displacing blame prevents you from making the changes necessary to succeed. Again, a brilliant point that we can apply in supply chain.<\/p>\n
So, while I\u2019ll probably steer clear of including inspirational\/motivational articles in PurchTips, perhaps I\u2019ll save these types of rants for this blog.<\/p>\n
Now, if you\u2019ll excuse me, I\u2019m onto a different aspect of my supply chain research\u2026<\/p>\n
Recommended Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n Supply Chain Expert?<\/a> As reported in an earlier post, one aspect of my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nProcurement Certification Questions<\/a>
\nTime and Materials Contract<\/a>
\nSourcing \u2013 Favorite and Least Favorite Categories<\/a>
\nStarting A Supplier Diversity Program<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"