Jens Hentschel's passion is B2B relationship management and is especially interested in the interaction between the two sides at the negotiation table: buyers and sellers, suppliers and customers, sales and procurement professionals.

In this episode, Jens delves into the role of procurement in guiding the internal stakeholder's buying journey on the supply side, while the sales professional assists in facilitating a value-based negotiation.

Why you have to check out today's podcast:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of procurement's involvement in the sales process using the direct and indirect spend terminologies
• Recognize the significance of involving procurement at the outset of the negotiation process
• Learn how procurement and sales can create a mutually beneficial scenario in pricing value

"When you get into that situation where you have been put on the spot in that negotiation, don't budge on price." - Jens Hentschel

Topics Covered:

01:16 - How he got into pricing

03:04 - Jens important thoughts about Mark's bad impression of procurement

07:27 - A case where it's all about price [on the procurement side] and not a win-win situation

11:12 - Understanding procurement's role in the sales process using the direct and indirect spent terms

15:00 - Why the need to involve procurement early on in the sales process

17:57 - Identifying the right procurement person and establishing the initial conversation

20:49 - A procurement's participation in the customer's buying journey

22:22 - Discussing the concept of supplies vendors list

25:00 - The role that price play in making it to the vendor's list

27:12 - Jens impactful pricing advice

Key Takeaways:

"What we are trying to preach is, involve them [procurement] right away because 90% of what your customers spend is managed through a procurement process." - Jens Hentschel

"Something that I can only recommend to anybody to do is, interact with them [procurement] early, provide them with value insights that they're not able to gather themselves. That's how you start building that relationship." - Jens Hentschel

"My thinking is, the procurement professional is the enabler of the buying journey of the internal stakeholder. And they can do it best by having a salesperson on the supplies helping them to be that facilitator." - Jens Hentschel

"Where really value is created is where the sales professional on the supply side and the procurement professional on the customer side really work hand in hand to promote a solution." - Jens Hentschel

Resources/ People Mentioned:

• Procter and Gamble: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procter_%26_Gamble

Connect with Jens Hentschel:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenshentschel
• Website: https://www.fivis.io/

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
• Email: [email protected]