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Dave Stein's Blog
Dave Stein's Blog
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The State of Sales and Purchasing

The State of Sales and Purchasing

Summary

Most sales professionals would agree that their customers’ corporate procurement functions gained significant skill and influence during the past five years. As a result, ES Research Group again, for the fourth year, has identified overcoming challenges associated with influential corporate procurement organizations as being a primary objective for sales teams during 2012 and 2013.

To better understand how sales professionals perceive procurement within their customers’ organizations and how procurement professionals perceive sales within their suppliers’ organizations, we surveyed 239 “buy side” and 352 “sell side” negotiators during October and November of 2012.

What makes this survey so interesting to us and to the sponsor of this initiative, BayGroup International, is that we posed precisely the same questions to representatives from both sides of the negotiating table.

One of the most surprising findings of this survey was the level of agreement found in the answers to the questions by both buyers and sellers. Although there were significant differences in degree to which the parties agreed, there is clearly more mind share between buyers and sellers than expected.

The survey and report were sponsored by BayGroup International.
Analysis

What You'll Learn from This Report:

  • In what direction is the balance of power among purchasing and sales professionals headed?
  • What trends are having a positive impact on negotiations?
  • Do sales and procurement professionals see their relationship as collaborative or competitive?
  • What do buyers and sellers predict will happen during the next three years?
  • What trends have had an adverse impact on negotiations?
  • How is the level of complexity trending?
  • What strategies and tactics have had a positive implact on negotiation results?
  • What do buyers and sellers think of each other with respect to their effectiveness as negotiators?
  • Do they agree on who is better trained?
  • What negotiation support systems work?
  • What are the biggest challenges buyers and sellers have negotiating agreements?
  • What do they believe are the most important factors that separate the top 20% of people they negotiate with?
  • What are the four areas of greatest divergence among buyers and sellers?

ESR's Analysis and Recommendations:

 ESR provides analysis and recommendations for companies considering investments in negotiation.

Assistance with this Report:

As part of the survey development process and interpretation, ESR enlisted the assistance of experts from BayGroup International.

ESR details the results of the survey in its comprehensive 33-page report, The State of Sales and Purchasing. 

Click below to purchase the Report in downloadable PDF format.  PDF is watermarked with purchaser's email address for security purposes.
  $99.00
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