Congratulations, you’ve just won over the client, and you’ve won the work. All is good - time to get going. But hang on... Your new client informs you that they need to formalise and finalise the financial, contractual, and transactional details of the relationship… and procurement will lead these activities.

It's easy to dread this point in the new business process which can feel neither fun, nor fast, and perhaps you try and avoid this part altogether. What does procurement know about this relationship, or the brilliant work that you will create for this new client? And how do you you prepare for this new discussion? This engaging 90-minute workshop will take you through everything you need to know to turn negotiating and engaging with procurement teams into an opportunity that you will both relish, and that will help you better retain and regain financial value for your business and the creative freedoms your work needs.

This workshop covers

  • Demystifying procurement's role

    What do they know about this space and why are they involved?

  • Understanding value in this context

    What does 'value' mean for our client and for us?

  • Clarifying the boundaries

    What is negotiable and when do negotiations begin and end?

  • Why you might not win your negotiation

    The things procurement do to 'win' and the things agencies do to help them get there.

  • The role and impact of power

    Who has it? And how might we get more of it?

  • Identifying your choices

    What choices are yours and what are your client's.

You will gain

  • A clear understanding of what procurement cares about and how their success is measured, leaving you on the front foot in your discussions.

  • A ready list of the most common tactics and approaches used by procurement and the know-how to manage these.

  • The top ten tips to better prepare you for future negotiations and the ability to protect and enhance your value.

  • A new confident approach to engaging with procurement and negotiating your way to success.

Meet your trainer

John Gleason

John Gleason is Founder of A Better View Strategic Consulting, which helps brands and client organisations elevate and leverage design as a strategic business competence. It helps agencies become more relevant, create better value, and become better businesses, and helps enhance client/agency relationships. John has advised more than 1,600 agencies and his clients have included 120+ corporate/ brand organisations. He is also a member of the DBA’s Expert Register. Prior to launching A Better View in 2007, John enjoyed a 20+ year career at Procter & Gamble. Notably he was head of design, innovation, and production sourcing at Procter & Gamble, and responsible for all external agency relationships in these areas and was known for seeking mutual value, and advocating for agencies to improve client processes & actions. John serves on a number of advisory boards for a wide range of companies, agencies, industry association groups, start-ups and not-for-profit organisations. John also teaches an experiential Design Thinking course in the MBA programme at the University of Notre Dame in the U.S.

Previous feedback for John

John has the unique ability to understand the issues that both client and creative wrestle with and provide unique and sage council at a strategic, practical and tactical level. His passion and advocacy for the value and role of design within the creative and corporate world stands him above his peers. Exceptionally knowledgeable, he is also extremely personable, a rare combination in the creative and corporate world.

Glen Spurrier, Co-Founder, Kerning Collective

John is the design industry’s leading advocate here in the US. From his time crafting the relationships between Procter & Gamble and their worldwide design consultant partners, to his current corporate and design firm consulting engagements, he is the industry’s thought-leader. He provides critical and relevant direction and data-supported insight to the organisations he serves and the many industry events where he is invited to speak. He provides connection between corporate recruiters and the individuals John knows to be best suited for their positions. And in his every interaction, John provides honest and trustworthy integrity.

Rob Wallace, Founder & Brand Advocate, Best of Breed Consortium