Strategic Computing

NEED HELP NEGOTIATING WITH THE PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE BUYER? AN INSIDER-LED WORKSHOP ON GLEANING MOST VALUE FROM YOUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE BUYER

INTRODUCTION Software Sales people will find that, more and more, they are engaging with Procurement - and, in particular, the experienced Professional Software Buyer - in order to close their deals.

Could you be better prepared for these encounters? Following this workshop, you will be.

The course will bring you inside the processes, positions and tactics that are used by Procurement when they engage with Software Sales people.

After it, you will definitely be better prepared for your dealings with the Professional Software Buyer.

We have negotiated big ticket software deals for our clients for almost 25 years, so we can walk the walk. Our workshops deliver real, immediately useable tips and techniques that will ensure that you are better prepared for – and get more from – your negotiations with the Professional Software Buyer.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 The Procurement savings drive is stronger than ever 4 Leave less value on the table 5 Take a walk in the Software Buyer’s footsteps 6 Typical workshop structure and topics 7 Contact 8 Testimonials 2/

THE PROCUREMENT SAVINGS DRIVE IS STRONGER THAN EVER Global supply market analysts Ardent Partners found that the top pressure for Chief Procurement Officers in 2015 is to increase savings - and this challenge rests firmly with the ICT category buyers, one of the largest indirect spend categories in large organisations.

The role of the specialist category buyer is to drive the procurement process using strong market knowledge, clearly defined processes and deep negotiation expertise, with the end goal of getting the best deal for his/her organisation Within ICT, the Professional Software Buyer will be a very experienced negotiator – experience which will have been honed across many procurement projects and supplier negotiations.

The better prepared Software Sales people are for engagements with Professional Software Buyers, the better the deal outcomes will be.

Software Sales people will find that, more and more, they are engaging with the experienced Software Buyer in order to close their deals.

Tapping into the mind set, practices and techniques used by the Professional Software Buyer will be of immense value to Software Sales personnel who have direct interactions with Procurement.

“The Chief Procurement Officer’s top pressure for 2015 is to find more savings” Ardent Partners Research 2015

“For the next three years, the Chief Procurement Officer’s top pressure is to find more savings” Ardent Partners: CPO Rising Webinar, March 2015

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LEAVE LESS VALUE ON THE TABLE Within the typical large procurement organisation, the software category is often seen as one of the most complex and demanding.

Therefore, Software Buyers often tend to be the best and most experienced negotiators and deal makers within the Procurement team.

The Software Buyer will use his/her full armoury to influence the negotiation process – before, during and after the face-to-face negotiations.

These include such elements as the procurement process, procurement gateway hurdles, budget, timing, sign-offs and a myriad of other factors which are intended to gain the negotiation high ground.

You need your “A” game in order to maximise value from your engagement with Procurement.

We can help.

Using our many years’ experience working with and training Software Buyers – and undertaking large software procurement negotiations in collaboration with our clients – we can get you on the inside track so you achieve the deal outcomes you desire – leaving much less value on the table .

Good negotiators understand and map the terrain and the obstacles to be overcome in getting to the planned outcome.

They also have a clear view of the key negotiation boundaries – when they are “in the deal zone”, when the deal is approaching no-deal boundaries and what the alternatives are along the way.

“All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”

Sun Tzu; The Art of War

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TAKE A WALK IN THE SOFTWARE BUYER’S FOOTSTEPS Understanding where the Software Buyer is coming from, what his/her key interests and challenges are and where the most accessible common ground is can help you set up and deliver outcomes that deliver value for both sides. Using this knowledge, you will be better positioned to identify the substantive issues and get to the constructive dialogue sooner, rather than later.

Engaging with Procurement can often appear daunting – interactions are tense, a lot is demanded and little is offered, stress and angst are par for the course.

Have you considered how the Buyer feels? What about his/her diverse interests – many of which just may align with yours? How do you go about finding the early common ground that will open the door to constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue?

The truth is that - no matter what your preconceptions are – there is generally a lot more common ground than you anticipated – and the sooner you find it, the smoother the negotiations will be.

With our insights, you can take a lot more money off the table and stop giving value away.

We can walk the walk. We have negotiated many, many big ticket software deals and trained software procurement teams in many blue chip organisations over the years. So we understand what it takes to get the deal over the line.

We will take you on a walk in the Buyer’s shoes and help you understand the issues, challenges and concerns that influence and shape the Buyer interactions with you.

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TYPICAL WORKSHOP STRUCTURE AND TOPICS The workshop can be run as 1- or 2-day events, or can be tailored to fit in with quarterly, half-yearly or annual sales planning get-togethers.

We will review and deconstruct your licence, support and services agreements in advance of the workshop and set out the contractual and commercial “challenge zones” and the likely negotiation strategy and tactics that the Software Buyer will employ, including:  how do your licence, support and services agreements

compare to industry competitors and norms?  what value “give-aways” are in your current agreements?  how will the Buyer position the negotiation before you ever get to the table?  where will the Buyer focus his/her attention during the negotiation?  what diversionary tactics will the Buyer use to move your focus away from the real substantive topics?  how can you anticipate and be ready for these challenges?

Typical workshop topics include (but we will tailor them as required to reflect, for example, recent negotiation scenarios where, on reflection, an “Insider’s view” would be useful):  the Buyer’s “interest zones”  large organisation procurement business models and drivers  how the Buyer sets up the negotiation  deconstructing the contract and commercials – preparing for the Buyer’s challenges and developing your counters  finding early common ground  competitive selection – how the Buyer uses RFI/RFP/ITT processes to leverage the deal  typical Buyer negotiation scenarios  real life role plays and case studies

Real life case studies bring the message home Consider the deal that you thought was already over the line, finally coming to fruition after months of strong relationship building and negotiation with your customer, simply requiring the final contract signature and purchase order.

And, suddenly, Procurement get involved late in the day…

Our case studies and role plays cover real life scenarios such as this.

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Strategic Computing Limited Georgian House Business Centre | Holly Park | Newtownpark Avenue Blackrock | Co. Dublin | Ireland http://www.strategiccomputing.ie Contact: Ray Murphy T: +353 (0)87 2809276 | E: ray.murphy@strategiccomputing.ie 7/

“Thank you again for a brilliant course; there has been nothing but positivity from any attendee I have spoken to since.”

Richard Limkin, Head of Projects Delivery, Core International

I found the course to be pitched at exactly the right level. There were a couple of key points of particular value which in their own right justify the time and cost for the course as they should directly have a positive impact on revenue. In particular I found value in the contract deconstruction, how to counter the professional buyer’s objections and understanding the buyer’s drivers.”

“Many thanks for the excellent training supplied earlier in June.

I wanted to see if you could deliver the same 2 day course to our Americas team…”

John Rainger, former CEO, Openet Telecom

Lance Gourlay, Corporate Accounts Director, CR2 PTE Ltd., Singapore

“I am far better equipped to negotiate and get better deals for the company.

In a nutshell, the training was also a huge eye opener - I hope you have not trained any of my potential customers!”

Corporate Sales Executive, EMEA, Misys

“I found the negotiation training course extremely useful. It gave us insights into the professional buyer’s practices and mind set. I feel confident that we will be better prepared for large organisation buyer interactions and negotiations and will, as a result, increase our sales revenues and margins. I expect the investment in the training to be repaid many times over.”

Seamus O’Farrell, CEO, Wolters Kluwer / Ci3 8/