Want To Learn How To Negotiate?

Whew...We have just put the finishing touches on a new class. We've been working on it for months and now it is ready. And even though we spent months putting it together, it really draws from about a decade of notes, experiences, lessons learned, triumphs, mistakes, and so on.

If you want to learn how to negotiate or how to negotiate better, we have the perfect class for you. It is called "Powerful Negotiation For Successful Buying." And it covers sooooo much about how to negotiate with suppliers.

There are too many topics to mention, but some of them include: negotiating with a sole source, what to say in 18 common negotiation situations, and even negotiating by email!

I am so excited about this. I just know that purchasing professionals from around the world will love this and their companies will benefit tremendously.

If you're interested in improving your negotiation skills, check out the new class at our Web site - www.NextLevelPurchasing.com .

Thanks for listening!

Respectfully,
Charles Dominick, C.P.M., SPSM
President
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.

How Can Purchasing Certification Help You In Your Career?

People often ask me: "How will earning a purchasing certification help me in my career?"

Having been a purchasing manager who was responsible for recruiting, interviewing, and hiring many purchasing professionals, the answer is so obvious.

You see, hiring managers often find the recruiting process to be difficult. Usually, there are many qualified candidates who apply for the scarce purchasing jobs. These candidates all have resumes boasting years and years of experience. They have the same degrees. They all present themselves very professionally in the interview.

How does a manager decide which candidate to choose for a job or promotion?

Managers look for tie-breakers. Some way of differentiating one candidate from another. Certification can be that tie-breaker.

If one candidate is certified and another isn't, who will get the job? Usually, the person who is certified.

It's really that simple.

Respectfully,
Charles Dominick, C.P.M., SPSM
President
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.
http://www.NextLevelPurchasing.com

Sales Calls

This post relates to FREE Purchasing Resource #71 entitled "What Salespeople Learn To Say To You."

Like everyone else who has ever held a purchasing position, I experience varying degrees of annoyance at getting requests for meetings without a compelling reason. I find Jill's approach quite interesting. Here are a few of my thoughts...

1. I like Jill's suggestion about pre-call research. If every salesperson followed this suggestion, this would force the sales person to pre-qualify themselves, rather than you having that responsibility.

2. You could even consider using Jill's suggestion to adopt criteria to accept or decline requests for appointments. If the salesperson doesn't specify how they will help you solve a problem or achieve an objective, they don't get the appointment. Period.

3. If you do adopt some type of criteria for whether or not to grant an appointment, you also have to consider the category of products or services being presented. You have your goals and strategies for a given year. If sourcing for a certain category does not fit within your strategy, you have to decline the appointment, irrespective of how well the salesperson presents their value proposition. Maybe their solution is for next year's problem. Don't lose focus. You have limited resources, so don't scatter yourself.

All in all, I've found it quite interesting to read Jill's approach. I hope that you have, too. Her's is a lot better than the approach used by other sales trainers who focus on borderline manipulation.

Click on the comments link below to share your comments. I look forward to reading what you have to say!

Until my next post, I wish you all the best!

Respectfully,
Charles Dominick, C.P.M., SPSM
President
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.

Recognition & Value: A Paradox?

I occasionally receive email from people who say that they don't know anyone who has ever heard of the SPSM Certification and question its value.

Of course, I always reply by referencing the prestigious companies from throughout the world who have enrolled their purchasing professionals in the SPSM Certification Program.

But today, I also thought about an interesting paradox with regard to recognition and value.

Recognition, to some extent, is garnered by the sheer number of people who have a certification. So, a certification held by 75,000 people (Certification A), it is more likely to be "recognized" by a high percentage of employers than a certification held by 1,000 people (Certification B).

However, to an employer, a someone holding Certification A is just one of 75,000 people - not someone special. Someone holding Certification B can lay a more compelling claim to being the "cream of the crop."

I believe that the key to career success is to earn the up-and-coming credentials BEFORE they are widely demanded. When the demand rises and peaks, you would truly stand out as someone with special accomplishments.

What are your thoughts on this? Click the comments link below and let me know!

Respectfully,
Charles Dominick, C.P.M., SPSM
President
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.
http://www.NextLevelPurchasing.com

Just Starting Out

Hi everyone!

If you want up-to-date views on the latest happenings in purchasing and supply management or want to share your own thoughts, this is the place!

Stay tuned for updates.

Sincerely,
Charles Dominick, C.P.M., SPSM
President
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.