You’ve built the case.
The engineers are in.
The end users are sold.
Even the CTO loves your solution.

Then comes the email from procurement:

“We’re reviewing the final proposals and will get back to you after comparing quotes.”

Cue the ghosting.
Cue the spreadsheet logic.
Cue the frustration.

Meet the Buyer Who Didn’t Ask for the Demo

Procurement isn’t your user.
They’re not impressed by your UX.
They didn’t ask about your roadmap.
They’re here to optimize cost, minimize risk, and standardize decisions.

This can feel like a dead-end — but it’s not.
It just means your champion needs help speaking procurement’s language.

What Procurement Really Cares About

Let’s be clear: procurement teams aren’t trying to sabotage innovation.
They’re just tasked with protecting margins, ensuring compliance, and making comparisons fair.

Their scorecard looks like this:

• ✅ Does it meet minimum technical requirements?

• ✅ What are the commercial terms (payment, SLAs, delivery)?

• ✅ How does this quote compare to others in the same category?

• ✅ Is there precedent with this supplier?

What they don’t want:

• Surprise costs

• Vague “value” claims

• Long explanations they don’t understand

• Products that can’t be clearly categorized

Your Job: De-risk the Decision for Them

This isn’t about “educating procurement.”
It’s about arming your champion (engineering, ops, IT) with the right tools to make the case.

Here's how:

1. Provide a Procurement Cheat Sheet

• One-pager that explains:

  • Scope of work

  • Compliance with RFP

  • How it compares technically

  • Cost breakdowns with context (e.g. ongoing support, training included)

  • Payment terms and flexibility

Bonus: Add a “Why not the cheapest?” box — framed with risk language procurement understands.

2. Build a Clear Apples-to-Oranges Explainer

If your offer seems higher, explain why — but without marketing jargon.

Example:

“While Vendor B offers similar hardware, our quote includes full integration, support, and on-site training, which they charge separately. Over a 12-month period, our TCO is 8% lower.”

3. Offer a Risk Reduction Argument

Procurement loves predictable outcomes. Help them see yours as the safer bet.

Try:

• Client logos (especially ones they respect)

• Case studies showing long-term satisfaction

• Performance guarantees or success metrics

• “Switching cost” logic (highlighting why changing suppliers later would be painful)

Shift the Narrative

You’re not just selling to procurement.
You’re equipping their internal buyer to win the argument on your behalf.

The closer you bring your value to procurement's language — clarity, cost, compliance, confidence — the easier it is for your champion to get the green light.

Need a Hand?

We help clients with:

• Procurement enablement kits

• Value proposition conversion tools

• TCO calculators

• Pricing communication strategies

• Technical-comms alignment for RFPs

Procurement may not care about your brand story.

But if your content helps your champion win the price-vs-value conversation?

That’s how you close.

Let’s build your procurement toolkit. Get in touch with us today.