Best practice for dealing with external procurement consultants

The rise and spread of external procurement consultants poses a real challenge for many sales professionals. Direct client access is often blocked, salespeople have limited influence over the specification and win rates are poor at best.

This unique global study identified the effective strategies for this new environment. The research materials share the strategies used by the successful organisations and present a best practice approach for dealing with external procurement consultants.

For more information on dealing with external procurement consultants click here.

Effective strategies for combating reverse auctions

Today's procurement professionals have well-defined methods for commoditizing your offering by reverse auctions. Executives at many leading selling organisations report feeling powerless and nervous as the process strips away any discussion of added value to focus solely on price.

In the face of this onslaught, how should sales professionals respond? Huthwaite's unique global study identified how successful organizations are learning to play the game and successfully combat reverse auctions.

For more information on effective strategies for combating reverse auctions click here.

Negotiation excellence in the 21^st Century: what does best practice look like?

This unique research project is being conducted in partnership between International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) and Huthwaite Research Group. This global scale project identified how Fortune 500 companies are adapting their negotiation approach and making negotiation an institutional capability.

For more information on negotiation excellence in the 21^st Century: what does best practice look like? Click here.

Effective customer complaint handling

Handling customer complaints is seen as the most challenging and stressful part of the job for most customer service advisers. However, when handled successfully, complaining customers can become the most loyal advocates of an organisation.

Huthwaite International is currently working with the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) to develop a more thorough understanding of which advisor behaviours result in happier customers at the end of complaint calls.

We are conducting research in call centre complaint departments in a number of sectors, namely telecommunications, utilities, financial services and the public sector and will publish the findings in late 2009.

For an insight into the current complaint handling findings, please contact our lead research consultant, Dr. Janet Curran.