#procurement

Negotiate vendor contracts effectively. Strategy: 1. Research market rates. 2. Get multiple quotes. 3. Understand your leverage. 4. Long-term vs short-term commitments. 5. Volume discounts. 6. Payment terms negotiation. 7. SLAs and penalties. 8. Exit clauses. Don't accept first offer. Bundle purchases. Annual vs monthly pricing. Review contracts annually. Relationship matters but optimize costs.

Navigate complex enterprise procurement. Procurement stages: 1. Vendor approval (get on approved vendor list). 2. Security review (fill SOC 2, ISO certs, questionnaire). 3. Legal review (redline MSA, negotiate terms). 4. Purchase order (PO issued by procurement). What procurement needs: W9, insurance certificate, banking details, security documentation, references. Acceleration tactics: 1. Submit all documents upfront in 'procurement package'. 2. Engage procurement early (don't surprise them post-verbal commit). 3. Offer standard terms (less negotiation). 4. Escalate blockers to executive sponsor. 5. Understand their fiscal calendar (Q4 may be frozen). Red flags: 'we'll get back to you on legal', missing PO number, new stakeholders late in process. Relationship: befriend procurement contact, make their job easy. Most enterprise deals require 30-60 days for procurement after verbal agreement.