Busting the Myths: I can't contact the buyer prior to the procurement
We’re fast approaching the end of the year. How are you progressing towards the goals you set at the beginning of this year? I know that some business owners I speak to are struggling to meet those goals. Most business owners I speak to have not given much consideration about selling to the public sector. Or they have not pursued it because they think its too complicated, their business is too small, the cheapest supplier will always win, their reasons go on.
What if I told you, these were myths? That the public sector wants to buy from you! Join me over the next few weeks while I bust these myths. So far, we’ve busted the following myths:
Public sector only buys from bigger businesses
Lowest price will always win a contract
Contracts always go to the same suppliers
You cannot contact/engage with buyers during the procurement process
Public sector clients aren’t worth the effort
You can cut and paste your response from one tender to another
Its difficult to find and win work
Its difficult for a small business owner to know where to start
I’m a new company and without a trading history the public sector won’t buy from me.
This week we are going to debunk the myth:
Engaging with the buyer prior to procurement is anti-competitive
This is similar to myth 4, that you cannot contact or engage with buyers during the procurement process.
The short answer to this is that you can and should engage with buyers, during the procurement and there is a process to follow.
Prior to procurement you can engage with the buyer.
Meet the Buyer
Events like Meet the Buyer are designed to meet buyers and engage with them. It is beneficial to engage with the buyer prior to any procurement.
Once you’ve developed a procurement strategy and understand who will buy your products – whether goods or services – you can start to identify possible buyers. You can then approach them directly or can identify opportunities to meet them.
There are different types of Meet the Buyer events that some buyers run.
Some are just general Meet the Buyer – it may be one buyer or a number of buyers. You can attend - recently virtually rather than in person – and speak to people within procurement departments of the organisation. You will be able to tell them about your products and find out about opportunities coming up.
There are also Meet the Buyer events for specific sectors – so maybe when there is a big construction project ready to be launched.
Finally, there are meet the buyer events for specific procurement. This may have staff from procurement plus staff from the team who will run the contract attending. Commonly these will be held before the tender is published. Occasionally they will be held after the tender has been published. At these events you will be told about the contract and be given the opportunity to ask questions.
I’ve attended more formal Meet the Buyer events for specific contracts that have been held over a half or whole day. These have taken the form of discussions where we have been split into groups to feedback on particular subjects.
Buyers may also issue requests for information. These can be to gauge the market but can also be used to form the contract. It is always worthwhile providing feedback to information requests.
Key to engaging with potential buyers is attending Meet the Buyer Events.Remember that you don’t know what buyers to engage with unless you are clear about what you are going to sell and who you are going to sell it to. Download our free guide which takes you through the points to consider when developing your own procurement strategy.
What are you waiting for?
Why not book a virtual coffee? We’ll talk to you about your business and the opportunities available to you and your business.