Using procurement as a marketing and trust-building tool

What if your biggest competitive advantage is hiding in plain sight in your competitors' customer complaints? While most B2B executives chase the latest growth tactics, strategic leaders are systematically mining competitor trust gaps to win enterprise deals. In today's procurement environment, trust isn't just a vendor evaluation criterion—it's become the decisive factor in contract decisions worth millions. The reality of enterprise buying is stark: procurement teams have stopped believing vendor promises. They demand transparency in pricing models, proof of service delivery capabilities, and verification of product claims. Most vendors fake this transparency with polished sales decks and case study theater. The winners convert their competitors' credibility deficits into contract wins. Here's how B2B growth leaders are operationalizing trust to capture enterprise market share: Audit Competitor Credibility Gaps. Deploy systematic analysis of competitor RFP losses, customer churn patterns, and service delivery failures. Every trust breakdown in their client base represents a qualified prospect for your pipeline. Engineer transparency into your sales process. Move beyond vendor presentations. Provide independent verification of ROI claims. Offer transparent pricing with no hidden implementation costs. Make radical honesty your competitive differentiation in the procurement process. Align revenue operations around building trust. Tie sales comp, customer success KPIs, and product delivery SLAs directly to trust-building behaviors. When trust becomes measurable in your CRM and tied to quota attainment, it becomes operationalized. Build enterprise trust intelligence. Create account-level dashboards tracking trust indicators across your target prospect base. Monitor competitor service failures, contract disputes, and client satisfaction scores to time your outreach perfectly. The enterprise opportunity is massive: procurement teams are actively seeking vendors they can trust with mission-critical initiatives. While competitors struggle with credibility issues, you capture their displaced enterprise accounts. Ready to transform competitor weaknesses into enterprise wins? Start with a systematic audit of trust vulnerabilities among your top 50 target accounts. The pipeline impact could be transformational. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRV9sWAK __________ For more on growth and building trust, check out my previous posts. Join me on my journey, and let's build a more trustworthy world together. Christine Alemany #Fintech #Strategy #Growth

Procurement and sales working together isn’t the exception anymore—it’s the future. The sellers who involve procurement early don’t just close faster. They align expectations, build trust, and set the foundation for long-term success. Here’s what happens when sellers treat procurement as an afterthought: 🔻 Missed forecasts due to overlooked steps. 🔻 Delayed deals when roadblocks appear. 🔻 Lost trust, slowing down approvals and damaging relationships. But when sellers collaborate early: ✅ Expectations are aligned – Timelines and requirements are clear from day one. ✅ Approvals move faster – Procurement becomes your advocate, not a roadblock. ✅ Forecasts improve – Deals close on time, benefiting everyone. Last quarter, a seller reached out before finalizing their pitch, asking for feedback to align with our budget and strategy. Together, we clarified priorities and addressed potential challenges upfront. The result? A smooth approval process, an on-time deal, and a foundation of trust for future partnerships. The new era of procurement is about creating win-win outcomes. It starts with sellers asking the right questions and treating procurement as a strategic partner—not an obstacle. 👇 Help me out -- How do you collaborate with procurement to close deals faster? __ ✍ Any insight to the pains you're seeing out in the field w/ Procurement? ♻️ Share this with your team to help them rethink their approach!

Why 82% of Enterprise Buyers Ghost Bay Area Startups After Demos (And How to Fix It) You just crushed the demo. The procurement committee nodded along. Your solution checks every box. Then…radio silence. If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. 82% of enterprise buyers vanish after demos—not because your product lacks potential, but because startups often misunderstand what happens after the pitch. Let’s unpack why this happens—and how to fix it. The Silent Killer: Procurement Committees ≠ Product Teams Enterprise buyers aren’t evaluating your tech. They’re evaluating risk. Procurement teams balance short-term operational needs with long-term strategic goals. They ask: “Will this vendor survive budget cuts?” “Do they align with our ESG mandates?” “Can we trust them when supply chains break?” Yet most founders focus on features, not institutional anxieties. Here’s the gap: Demos showcase capabilities. POCs prove dependability. The 5-Touch Trust Matrix™ Based on Amazon’s procurement playbook and trust dynamics research, this framework rebuilds credibility after the demo: The Empathy Touch Within 24 hours: Send a memo addressing their top concern (e.g., “How we’ll protect you if our AI misclassifies data”). Why it works: 72% of buyers prioritize vendors who proactively solve problems. The Proof Touch Share a third-party audit of your uptime/SLA compliance—not a case study. Real example: A robotics startup reduced post-demo ghosting by 40% by including SOC2 reports in follow-ups. The Committee Whisperer Touch Identify the quietest stakeholder in the demo. Send them a tailored FAQ (e.g., “How this impacts your 2025 sustainability KPIs”). The Bridge Touch Connect them to your customer’s procurement lead (e.g., “Schedule 15 mins with Chevron’s sourcing team”). The Equity Touch Before the POC, present a “Partnership Impact Report” showing how your solution advances their DEI or carbon goals. Why This Works Procurement teams face immense pressure to minimize risk while maximizing social impact. By addressing customer orientation (their needs), expertise (audits), and dependability (partner access), you transform from “vendor” to “ally.” --------------------------------------------------- Your tech might be revolutionary, but enterprise trust is earned in micro-commitments—not demos. PS – Your buyers aren’t ghosting you. They’re protecting their careers. Show them how partnering with you becomes a badge of honor.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. It’s about leading change. The role of procurement has evolved. It’s no longer just about getting the best price or managing contracts. It’s about driving value across the business. The most effective procurement professionals today are doing things differently. They’re: ✔️ Selling ideas that challenge outdated thinking ✔️ Building partnerships that create long-term impact ✔️ Solving problems—not just sourcing products They’re not just buyers. They’re trusted advisors. And that shift takes more than technical skill. It takes influence, business awareness, and the ability to align people around a shared goal. If you’re still treating procurement as a transactional function, you’re missing the bigger picture. The teams making the most impact today are the ones who know how to build trust, drive innovation, and lead from the front. How are you helping your team or organization see procurement as a value-creating function?

Procurement isn’t the savings police. It’s the board’s growth engine. So why do so many teams still show up as cost cutters? Because they focus on savings as the outcome. Instead of the process that creates enterprise value. Here’s how the leaders flip the script → ▪ Position Procurement as a growth partner, not an enforcer. ▪ Reframe negotiations into co-investments for speed + resilience. ▪ Align every move to margin, cash, and growth velocity. When you do this consistently: ✔️ Suppliers become co-creators with skin in the game. ✔️ Stakeholders see Procurement as a multiplier, not a bottleneck. ✔️ Boards reward clarity, trust, and resilience that shows up in valuation. Across industries, the takeaway is the same: Procurement isn’t about cheaper. It’s about de-risking investors. It’s about compounding growth. Time to make it undeniable.

Procurement is more than cutting costs. It's about creating value, driving revenue, and building partnerships that benefit both sides. Here’s how procurement can reshape the top line: - Procurement drives innovation: Strategic supplier relationships lead to category growth. Suppliers introduce new products and materials, enabling your business to differentiate. - Negotiations can be a win/win: Align incentives with suppliers. When suppliers succeed, so do you. Think beyond price – longer contracts, volume guarantees, and shared investments build trust. - Revenue growth through procurement Partnering with the right suppliers can unlock new markets and revenue streams. Your supply chain becomes a competitive advantage, not just an operational function. Does your team view suppliers as a resource or an expense? Shift the mindset. Suppliers can become strategic partners who help grow your business. The companies that see procurement as a growth driver outperform those that don't. Are you ready to move procurement from a cost center to a value creator?