How can you negotiate with suppliers when your team has conflicting goals?

Negotiating with suppliers is a crucial skill for any conference organizer, but it can be challenging when your team has different priorities and expectations. How can you balance the needs of your budget, your attendees, your speakers, and your sponsors, while also building a positive relationship with your vendors? In this article, we will share some tips on how to negotiate with suppliers when your team has conflicting goals.

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1 Identify your team's goals

Before you start negotiating with suppliers, you need to have a clear understanding of what your team wants to achieve from the conference. What are the main objectives, the key performance indicators, and the desired outcomes? How do these align or differ across your team members? You can use tools like SMART goals, SWOT analysis, or stakeholder mapping to help you identify and communicate your team's goals. By doing this, you can avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and unrealistic expectations later on.

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Patience Phiri

A people's person 🙏
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Have a clear understanding of your team goals VS Organisational goals. 2,Document these goals and discuss them with the team so that they are on the same page . 3. Create a implementation plan.

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2 Research your suppliers

Once you have defined your team's goals, you need to research your potential suppliers and find out what they can offer you. You can use online platforms, referrals, testimonials, or previous experiences to gather information about their products, services, prices, quality, reputation, and availability. You should also compare different suppliers and see how they match your criteria and budget. By doing this, you can narrow down your options and select the most suitable suppliers for your conference.

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Patience Phiri

A people's person 🙏
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Also know what is important to your suppliers. Create meaningful relationships. Let them also understand what is important to your organisation.

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3 Prepare your negotiation strategy

After you have chosen your suppliers, you need to prepare your negotiation strategy and tactics. You should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from the negotiation, what your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) is, and what your walk-away point is. You should also consider what your suppliers want, what their BATNA and walk-away point are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. By doing this, you can plan how to approach the negotiation, what to ask for, what to offer, and how to handle objections.

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Aaron Little

Account Manager at Soundbox Productions, Audio Tech/Operator, Guitarist and Performer with See Spot Run
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Often having a 'negotiation strategy' is contrary to your own goals of a successful event. While your suppliers obviously are in it to make money, their main focus is ALWAYS to help you run the best event possible. As someone in the AV industry, we always strive to help clients understand their event, their AV needs, and what WE need for the event to run smoothly. Budget and timeline are always issues with every client. As an account manager, I strive to give you the best experience possible and with seamless organization and deliverables. But, I often struggle with clients second guessing the necessity of equipment they don't understand, to get the lowest cost. Ask questions, but trust our process as well. We're professionals.

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4 Communicate effectively with your suppliers

During the negotiation process, you need to communicate effectively with your suppliers and build rapport and trust. You should use active listening, open-ended questions, positive feedback, and empathy to understand their perspective and needs. You should also use clear, concise, and respectful language to express your own perspective and needs. You should avoid making assumptions, accusations, or threats, and instead focus on finding common ground and mutual benefits. By doing this, you can create a win-win situation and a long-term partnership with your suppliers.

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5 Involve your team in the decision-making

After you have negotiated with your suppliers, you need to involve your team in the decision-making process and get their feedback and approval. You should share the details of the negotiation, the pros and cons of the deal, and how it aligns with your team's goals. You should also address any concerns, questions, or objections that your team members may have, and try to resolve them in a constructive and respectful way. By doing this, you can ensure that your team is on board with the decision and that everyone is satisfied with the outcome.

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Patience Phiri

A people's person 🙏
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This is very important. Your team needs to understand strategy for the entire organisation vs team , so that when they make the decisions they know why they are making them . It also helps with inclusiveness and together the team will achieve more

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6 Review and evaluate the results

Finally, you need to review and evaluate the results of the negotiation and the performance of your suppliers. You should monitor and measure how well they deliver on their promises, how they handle any issues or changes, and how they contribute to the success of your conference. You should also provide them with feedback, recognition, and appreciation for their work, and ask them for feedback on your work as well. By doing this, you can learn from your experience, improve your negotiation skills, and maintain a positive relationship with your suppliers.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you negotiate with suppliers when your team has conflicting goals?

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2

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1 Identify your team's goals

2 Research your suppliers

3 Prepare your negotiation strategy

4 Communicate effectively with your suppliers

5 Involve your team in the decision-making

6 Review and evaluate the results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Conference Organization

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How can you negotiate with suppliers when your team has conflicting goals?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your team's goals

2 Research your suppliers

3 Prepare your negotiation strategy

4 Communicate effectively with your suppliers

5 Involve your team in the decision-making

6 Review and evaluate the results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Conference Organization

Rate this article

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