We asked two sales leaders how reps should approach conversations with procurement

Deals often get handed to procurement at the finish line — someone generally not sold on the value and measured almost purely on the discount they extract.

The value story you built doesn't always travel to them.

How does a rep protect price in a conversation with someone structurally immune to it?

Leslie Venetz

Founder - The Sales-led GTM Agency

Having sold directly to CPOs for four years, it’s important to remember that their customers are our customers. We are serving the same buyer. 

Of course we need to acknowledge that procurement professionals often receive bonuses based on the “savings” they secure. 

However, in my experience, their primary goal is ensuring their customers and the company get the most value from every vendor. 

If we pivot our approach to a vendor optimization lens, procurement can become an ally rather than an enemy. 

Talk to your champion about the procurement process early to understand what their success metrics are.

Understand if they have goals outside of “savings” such as ESG or supplier diversity. 

Be transparent about what levers you can and cannot pull to make it easy for your champion to defend the deal and for procurement to approve it. 

Davidson Hang

Head of Business Development - Untap Your Sales Potential

Procurement's job is to negotiate, so you shouldn't expect them to be emotionally attached to your solution.

That's why protecting price starts long before procurement enters the conversation. 

If they're only focused on cost, it usually means you didn't build enough linkage between your solution and the customer's specific business goals. 

Great reps help prospects connect the dots so they can clearly see how this investment solves their problem — not someone else's. 

Once you truly believe in the value you provide, you stop defending the price and start reinforcing the outcomes. 

Not every company will be the right fit, and that's okay.

The right customers won't buy because you're the cheapest. They'll buy because you're the best solution for their situation.

Collin Cadmus

Founder - Collin Cadmus, LLC.

Procurement should hear the value story before the pricing conversation. The sooner you can involve them in the process, the better. 

Some companies won't allow procurement to engage until the end, but many have flexible buying processes that can be shaped along the way.

It all starts with understanding their buying process and identifying everyone involved.

Explain to your champion that involving procurement earlier will make the rest of the process easier for everyone. 

I recommend scheduling a joint call with your champion and procurement to review everything that's been discussed, from the business value to the commercial terms. 

This allows procurement to hear the value proposition firsthand while giving your champion the opportunity to reinforce, in their own voice, why the investment is worthwhile.

That’s far more effective than getting caught in the middle and trying to communicate your champion's perspective yourself.

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