The Best Way for New Suppliers to Reach Procurement

Professionals often find themselves annoyed when suppliers solicit them—whether it be via email, phone, LinkedIn, or other—and it’s caused a huge debate. Pick an option for solicitation, and you will find a procurement professional who hates it. 

Inbound calls 

You’ve probably been here before: The phone rings, and it’s an unrecognizable number. You decide to answer it anyway and find it is someone who is trying to sell a product. Many professionals do not like receiving calls like this. It can interrupt your day and force an awkward conversation. And then come the follow-up calls, which can be more disruptive than the first. 

However, according to sales hacker, sales calls have a 30-50% conversion rate in general. So, while many professionals do not prefer this tactic, it is clear that many also end up making purchases based on these phone calls. Can they really be that bad if they are clearly working for both the supplier and the procurement function? 

LinkedIn messages 

How many cold LinkedIn messages have you received in the past month? The past week?  Understandably, professionals do not want to receive piles of solicitation messages in their LinkedIn inbox every day. Often, they are not personalized beyond your name, and there can be a feeling of disconnect if the individual messaging you has done absolutely no research and does not understand your company or what you might be looking to purchase. Other professionals believe platforms like LinkedIn should be used strictly as an online resume and for job searching.

Are LinkedIn messages useful? The data says yes. People are three times more likely to respond to a LinkedIn InMail message than a traditional email. Think about how many emails you receive to your personal/professional email inbox from a variety of brands all vying for your attention and money. Some might find reaching out on LinkedIn unprofessional; others might simply find it the smart, more effective thing to do. 

Mass emails

You’ve probably received an email recently from a potential supplier. It likely introduces you to their company, tells you a bit about their products, and encourages you to go to their website or book a meeting. How often do you follow up on those? Many procurement professionals would say not often. Some flag them as junk. 

When mass emails are sent out with no strategy, it’s easy for them to fall on deaf ears and be ineffective. But when email marketing is done right, through segmentation and personalization, they can be an important pillar in lead generation. In fact, marketers see an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized experiences. 

We all get a ton of emails each day. But are they really that annoying if they provide you with products you’re interested in? Some might even say it saves procurement professionals time and money when you have relevant product offers coming directly to you. 

So, what is the best way to get in touch? What about through a mutual connection instead? Or networking at a conference event? The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that is going to get you more contracts signed. Reaching procurement professionals and creating long-lasting relationships will take creativity, persistence, and the ability to pivot.

Procurement professionals, what is your preferred way to be reached?

Suppliers, what tactics have worked best for you, and why?