Negotiation tactics can be useful, but without a clear negotiation strategy, they can damage buyer credibility and create inconsistent results with suppliers. Learn why tactics should support a strategic framework.
Most buyers prepare for negotiation by getting their facts together. Great! They review pricing history. They look at spend. They check supplier performance. They think through the company’s savings target. They may prepare a desired outcome, a target, and a walk-away position. All of that…
Negotiation experts are fairly consistent on one point: when relationships are long term, issues are complex, and both sides have strong shared interests, the best approach is usually collaborative negotiation. That should make automotive a perfect environment for collaboration. OEMs and suppliers are tied together…
Over the past 40+ years working in purchasing, I’ve watched thousands of negotiations. And there’s one mistake that shows up over and over again. It’s not poor preparation.It’s not weak leverage.It’s not even lack of data. It’s this: buyers negotiating against themselves. And the worst…
Carrots, Sticks, and the Rule of Sevens: How Buyers and Sellers Should Sequence Negotiations In negotiations—whether you sit on the buy side or the sell side—we often hear the same shorthand: carrots and sticks. Carrots are the incentives. The benefits. The value that makes a deal…
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the negotiation landscape. Buyers and sellers are experimenting with AI tools to analyze data, draft questions, prepare talking points, and even simulate negotiation scenarios. That’s the opportunity — and the risk. AI doesn’t replace judgment. It amplifies whatever…
If there’s one thing buyers consistently excel at, it’s preparation. Most buyers walk into negotiations armed with data, cost models, supplier analysis, power assessments, volume history, economic indicators, and a clear understanding of the organizational objectives. Preparation is rarely the problem. But here’s the pattern…
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools available to today’s buyers. It can analyze data, summarize trends, accelerate research, and improve preparation for supplier discussions. Used correctly, it strengthens judgment and gives buyers a meaningful edge. But when AI is used…
A new Economist Impact study — The Resilient Edge: Procurement in an Era of Polycrisis (2025) — reveals a profession under pressure. Two-thirds of CxOs now rank geopolitical instability and supply chain disruption as their top risk. Inflation and tariffs continue to erode margins. While…
This year, tariffs have reshaped the cost structures of many manufacturing supply chains. Too often, I’ve seen buyers accept supplier pass-throughs of tariff costs without pushback—or, just as problematic, they made a single attempt to negotiate an offset and gave up when the supplier resisted….