# Working with procurement, not around it

URL: https://www.coltasa.com/insights/working-with-procurement  
Author: Colin Constantine  
Published: 2026-10-05  
Category: Negotiation

> Procurement is part of every enterprise deal. How to bring them in early, understand what they need and keep the deal moving.

Photo: [Mikhail Nilov](https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-in-long-sleeve-shirt-holding-a-calculator-8297031) on Pexels
Many sellers treat procurement as the last obstacle before signature, the team that appears late and asks for a discount. That view tends to make procurement harder to deal with. In most enterprise companies procurement has a clear job, and if you help them do it, deals move faster.

## Understand their role

Procurement is usually measured on three things: managing risk, getting fair commercial terms and following the company's buying process. They are rarely the people who decided the business needs your product. Their questions are about whether the purchase is safe, fair and compliant.

Seen that way, most of what they ask for becomes predictable.

## Bring them in early

Ask [your champion](https://www.coltasa.com/insights/enterprise-sales-champion) about procurement in the first few meetings rather than after the business case is agreed. Useful questions include:

- Who in procurement will be involved, and when do they usually join?

- Is there a supplier onboarding process we need to complete?

- Do you require your own contract terms or a master agreement?

- What deal sizes trigger extra approvals?

- How long did the last software purchase of this size take?

Add each answer to the [mutual success plan](https://www.coltasa.com/insights/mutual-success-plans) with a named owner and a date. It removes most late surprises. The [MEDDPICC](https://www.meddicc.com/meddic) framework calls this the paper process: every step between a verbal yes and a signed contract.

## Prepare what they will ask for

Procurement teams tend to ask for the same documents. Having them ready can save weeks:

- Security questionnaire answers and certifications.

- Data processing and privacy terms.

- Insurance certificates.

- Company and banking details for supplier setup.

- A clear pricing breakdown showing what is fixed and what can change.

## Make the value easy to defend

Procurement often has to justify the spend internally. Share the business case your champion agreed: the problem, the cost of leaving it unsolved and the expected return. When they can explain why the purchase is worth it, they are less likely to focus on price alone, and [price objections](https://www.coltasa.com/insights/price-objection) become easier to answer.

## Negotiate with a plan

Expect a request for a discount and decide in advance how you will respond. Know your walk-away position (which depends on your [BATNA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_alternative_to_a_negotiated_agreement), your best alternative if this deal falls through), what you can offer and what you want in return, such as a longer term, upfront payment or a fixed signature date. [Trade every concession](https://www.coltasa.com/insights/stop-discounting) for something.

Keep the commercial discussion with procurement and the value discussion with your champion and economic buyer. If procurement starts questioning whether the project should go ahead at all, bring your champion back in.

## Keep the champion involved

Your champion has influence over the process. Ask them to tell procurement the date the business needs the solution in place, and why. A real deadline from inside the company does more to move a contract than any end-of-quarter offer.

## Close the loop

After signature, thank your procurement contact and ask what would make the process easier next time. Note what they needed and how long each step took. Renewals and expansions go through the same team, and a good relationship now shortens both.

## Sources and further reading

- [MEDDICC: What MEDDIC, MEDDICC and MEDDPICC stand for](https://www.meddicc.com/meddic)
- [Wikipedia: Best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_alternative_to_a_negotiated_agreement)