Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

A Key to Bargaining with Suppliers

Can you overcome suppliers' bargaining tactics?

  • By Charles Dominick
  • 09/01/13

There are many keys to successfully bargaining with suppliers: preparing thoroughly, learning an arsenal of techniques, being able to think quickly, communicating persuasively and so forth. One of the most important keys is persistence.

Persistence is necessary because suppliers who bargain well wear down their procurement counterparts through these tactics that put buyers’ persistence to the test:

1. Ignoring. When you bargain for an improvement to pricing or terms, your supplier may behave as if they didn’t even hear your request. This is particularly easy for suppliers to do if you try bargaining by email (which I don’t recommend for critical negotiations).

2. Diverting. When you bargain for a reduction in price, a common supplier tactic is to divert your attention to another business issue. For example, the supplier may say, “I can’t really discuss price until I understand how the arrangement will work and the value that you are seeking to get out of the arrangement.”

3. Delaying. When you bargain for an improvement to pricing or terms, a supplier representative will often say, “I gave you the best price/terms that I am allowed to give. I’ll have to check with senior management to see if we can do any better.” Because the supplier creates the impression that nothing further can be accomplished through the conversation, the supplier gets you to stop bargaining in the hopes that you will not ask again before awarding the order or contract.

Suppliers know that weak procurement negotiators only ask for improvements to pricing or terms once, and often end up awarding the order or contract to the supplier even if the supplier didn’t budge. Prove that you are a strong negotiator. Be persistent. Ask again… and again, if necessary. By showing how important it is to get what you want, you will increase your chances of getting it.

— Reprinted with permission from the Next Level Purchasing Association.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management September 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Charles Dominick, SPSM, SPSM2, SPSM3, is the president and chief procurement officer of the Next Level Purchasing Association (www.NextLevelPuchasing.com), a leading provider of procurement training and certification. He is also the lead author of The Procurement Game Plan: Strategies & Techniques for Supply Management Professionals. Prior to founding the Next Level Purchasing Association, Charles managed procurement for three leading organizations, including the University of Pittsburgh.

Featured

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.