IT procurement plays a critical role within most technology-focused businesses. Our new IT procurement training course aims to offer procurement teams a new perspective, training them on the inside view of a technology sales team and how best to work with them.
Viewpoint Analysis was established to help companies find and select enterprise technology and to bridge the gap between procurement and technology vendors. Our team has worked in technology sales for decades, and we know there is a better way to procure enterprise tech. Our IT procurement training is the latest step on the path to helping businesses buy better by understanding how the IT sales teams work, what's important to them, and how to find a win/win scenario.
IT Procurement Training - What is it?
Buying IT - whether that be SaaS, software, hardware, services etc, is a very well-trodden path. There are a multitude of procurement courses aimed to help IT and purchasing team members upskill and improve their knowledge of procurement with specific focus on the world of IT products and services.
What's Different about the Viewpoint Analysis IT Procurement Training?
Traditional IT procurement training focuses on one side of the equation, but it misses critical insight into what it is like to work in IT sales. Gaining this insight can be a game changer and that is precisely what Viewpoint Analysis aims to provide. If the IT or IT procurement teams can relate to the day in the life of the sales team, and if they can understand what is important or not important to them, there is a much higher chance of brokering a win/win scenario and of forming a solid long-term relationship.
The Importance of Understanding the Sales Perspective
Understanding the sales perspective is crucial for procurement teams to develop a balanced approach that maximizes value while maintaining good vendor relationships. Often, procurement professionals and IT sales teams are at odds due to conflicting priorities—cost reduction versus deal closure. By gaining insight into how sales teams think, what drives them, and the common challenges they face, procurement professionals can build more effective negotiation strategies that foster collaboration instead of adversarial relationships.
This knowledge can have benefits across the whole procurement cycle. For example, treating the sales team better and talking in their language can ensure more accept a role in the procurement process and fewer qualify out. Once they are in the process, working together to find common ground will ensure they continue to work within the process, and along with improved negotiating positions, will form a solid basis for a long-term partnership.
What Will You Learn?
The course aims to cover the following areas:
What it is like to work in IT sales.
How to find a win/win scenario amid conflicting aims.
Qualification criteria - the different ways vendors qualify an engagement.
Timescales and Timings - how the calendar dictates activity.
Red flags and reasons to qualify out.
What the sales teams need to know to do their best job.
The different parts of the sales team - what they do and why they are important.
Negotiations - what can be negotiated and what can't be negotiated.
During the training, we will use real-world examples of successful - and not-so-successful procurement cycles to paint a full picture.
Each training course is bespoke to the client's needs and therefore the curriculum can be changed to fit the learners needs. Viewpoint Analysis run vendor selection processes and therefore this training can also be combined with RFP and RFI training, or these can be added to the learning track if needed.
How Is The Training Delivered?
The IT procurement training course is delivered remotely and can either be presented live, or recorded for teams to review on-demand. The course is usually completed in 2 or 3 hour window but can be flexed to accommodate the needs of the training team.
Want To Learn More?
Please get in contact with us if you would like to learn more about the IT procurement training or to build a specific course for your needs.
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