Introducing “Unlocking Procurement Success”: An 8-Part Blog Series for Diverse Suppliers

Welcome to the “Unlocking Procurement Success” blog series, designed to empower diverse suppliers with the knowledge and strategies they need to succeed in the world of corporate procurement. Supplier diversity is becoming increasingly important to large corporations, as they recognize the value of working with a diverse range of suppliers, including minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA+-owned businesses. By supporting supplier diversity, these companies can achieve their corporate social responsibility goals and drive innovation through access to a wider array of products and services.

Throughout this 8-part series, we’ll be exploring a variety of topics to help diverse suppliers navigate the procurement process, build relationships with large corporations, and ultimately grow their business. By positioning yourself as a reliable and competitive diverse supplier, you’ll be better equipped to seize opportunities and help corporations meet their supplier diversity goals.

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from each installment in our series:

1. Understanding the Procurement Process: A Guide for Diverse Suppliers: We’ll start by providing an overview of the procurement process in large corporations, including common terminology and criteria. By understanding how procurement works, you’ll be better equipped to navigate it successfully.
2. How to Sell to Large and Enterprise Businesses Using This Step-by-Step Process: In this post, we’ll break down a clear process for selling to large and enterprise businesses, from identifying your ideal customer to refining your sales process.
3. Developing a Capability Statement: A Must-Have Tool for Diverse Suppliers: We’ll introduce the concept of capability statements and explain how they can help diverse suppliers stand out and win contracts with large corporations.
4. Understand the Role of Certifications: We’ll discuss the importance of certifications for diverse suppliers and provide guidance on how to obtain and leverage them.
5. How to Complete Your Company Profile in a Supplier Marketplace: We’ll explain the importance of having a complete and accurate company profile in a supplier marketplace, and provide steps and best practices for creating a winning profile.
6. How to Get Your Foot in the Door at a Big Corporation: We’ll provide strategies for establishing relationships with large corporations, including tips on securing meetings, presenting your capability statement, and maintaining relationships.
7. How to Identify the Key Stakeholders in a Big Corporation: We’ll help you understand the different roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the procurement process and provide guidance on how to engage with them effectively.
8. How to Talk to Procurement in a Large Corporation: Finally, we’ll discuss the importance of effective communication with procurement teams and provide strategies for building long-term relationships with them.

Each of these blog posts has been carefully designed to provide you with valuable insights, tools, and strategies to help you succeed as a diverse supplier in the world of corporate procurement. Be sure to bookmark this page, as it will serve as a central hub for the entire series, with links to each individual post as they’re published.

Diverse Supplier Procurement Panel

We also invite you to attend our upcoming virtual panel event, “Behind the Curtain: Insights from Big Corporations on How They Select Diverse Suppliers.” Co-hosted by our CEO at Hire Ground, Cloe Guidry, and Adam Moore, Supplier Diversity Leader and Cohost of the Breaking Barriers podcast, this event will feature a panel of corporate executives who have extensive experience in supplier diversity and procurement. During the panel, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what big corporations look for in diverse suppliers, how to communicate effectively with procurement teams, and how to build long-term relationships with corporate buyers. Register now to secure your spot at this valuable event.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the value this series and panel can bring to your business. Dive into our first post, “Understanding the Procurement Process: A Guide for Diverse Suppliers,” out now!