Many of us face a difficult reality - we have to sell to both a specific department (e.g. IT, Marketing, Supply Chain...) and Procurement. We all know how difficult it can be just to win the support of the key players in a sales opportunity. We have to build coach relationships, deal effectively with evaluators/gatekeepers and compel decision makers.

For many, that is now the first hurdle. Next we have to deal with Procurement, whose power varies from organization to organization. In some companies, Procurement may simply play the role of chief negotiator. In other companies they may actually have the power to override the decision made by the department (happily this is still quite rare).

One strategy to consider is to bring these two groups together at specific points in the sales process, such as:

The research phase - If you can effectively include Procurement in the research process you may find yourself ahead of the game later. This could make Procurement feel involved and valued from the beginning, and you could learn very critical information. This could be dangerous if Procurement has the power to play the role of a gatekeeper and restrict your access or strategy.

The presentations - Imagine a meeting where you are making a powerful presentation and Procurement is one of the attendees. You have the opportunity to compel the decision maker, leverage the open support of your coaches and show Procurement how powerful your business and solution fit can be.

One of our clients used this strategy recently when they delivered a business presentation and proposal to an audience including both the department and Procurement. The Director of Procurement said, "This was the first time my team has recommended a supplier where pricing wasn't the key decision making factor". He went on to commend the entire account team on a "fantastic job accomplishing what your competitors could not, developing a creative and strategic proposal demonstrating why our joint relationship represents the best value."