By Dana Small, Ms. Category Management When you are in procurement, you’re not just an enemy—you are the enemy to almost everyone involved (or least that’s how it feels). That’s why I like to call it negotiating with the dark side. Because more times than not, you’re viewed as counterproductive and a middleman to with whom most just want to check the box. Yes, we talked to procurement, now let’s get the project started! Why?…
Small and Medium Business Negotiation
In the procurement profession, in the capitalist community where we conduct business every day, the general idea is to be continuously profitable. This mindset often leads to cut-throat deals, harsh contracts, and, potentially, taking advantage of others in business or our customers, which is the public’s view of corporate America. Is this, however, the belief of many working in procurement negotiation? On a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja podcast, I spoke with James Orsini. James has been…
Developing a Contract Playbook
In the heat of business, the importance of contracts can often get lost. We make side deals on handshakes and “our word,” and we can forget the benefits of having everything in writing. Jeanette Nyden and Lawrence Kane have written a new book called The Contract Professional’s Playbook. I spoke with Jeanette and Lawrence on a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja about some ways in which contracts are crucial in maintaining relationships through the years…