Yesterday, I posted about two seemingly polar opposite approaches to supplier collaboration. I particularly pointed out one CPO\u2019s method of gauging suppliers\u2019 interest in partnering by including his quote from a recent Supply Management magazine article in which he said, \u201cYou have to see it in the way that people respond to your pushes, challenges, and demands.\u201d<\/p>\n
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I often say that the real relationship between a buyer and seller begins during the first negotiation. And you can often gauge a supplier\u2019s interest in partnership during that first negotiation as well, many times without \u201cpushes, challenges, and demands.\u201d<\/p>\n
When working with a new supplier and talking through decisions that need to be made, I always like to ask the question \u201cWhat would you decide\/do if you were me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, I usually know at that time what decision I will make or what action I will take. But I love to see how the supplier responds.<\/p>\n
Suppliers are rarely prepared for this question. So their responses are usually very revealing and unscripted.<\/p>\n
If the supplier responds in a way that recommends a decision that is clearly and heavily skewed towards their best interests and doesn\u2019t consider your best interests, then you know that you\u2019re not speaking with someone committed to a partnership.<\/p>\n
In most negotiation cases, showing how smart you are gives you leverage. However, using a question like this and \u201cplaying dumb\u201d once in a while can really expose you to the inner workings of a supplier\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n
A selfish response doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that I will walk away from that supplier. But I will know whether I am entering into a transactional relationship or a partnership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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