Myth #7: It’s About Selecting A Supplier
- It’s Time To Explore Some Myths About Buying
- Myth #8: Sales Process Equals Buying Process
- Myth #9: The Competition Is Another Supplier
- Myth #10: The PO Is Everything
- Myth #11: Purchasing Pushes Paper
- Myth #1: It’s All About Selling!
- Myth #2: The Seller Is In Control
- Myth #3: The Unsophisticated Buyer
- Myth #4: Buyers Want To Be Sold To
- Myth #5: It Is A Buying Decision
- Myth #6: Buyers Buy Products & Services
- Myth #7: It’s About Selecting A Supplier
Salespeople expect the Fortune 1000 buying process to focus on ‘shopping for a supplier’ and to include such steps as:
- Defining vendor selection criteria.
- Short-listing vendors.
- Briefing shortlisted vendors.
- Eliciting vendor proposals.
- Vendor presentations and clarifications.
- Vendor selection.
- Notification of successful and unsuccessful vendors.
- Final negotiation of terms and signing of contract.
But these steps are not listed. Although an inevitable part of any procurement process, they are too obvious. Perhaps it is because they are subsidiary to the other steps, such as the definition of requirements or the business case.
Buyers are quick to remind us that selecting a supplier is after all only a small part of the buying process, perhaps even the smallest part. Think of it this way, the reason projects don’t go ahead is not because the buyer cannot select between competing vendors, but most likely because a compelling business case has not been established and approved.
Peter Viljoen: 
StartupSandy: 
the Senator: 
Martin Lindeskog: 
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