Wrestling with Procurement™

Even well-prepared teams fail when:

• Procurement controls tempo and agenda
• power asymmetry forces reactive concessions
• “take-it-or-leave-it” tactics compress decision time
• internal alignment fractures under escalation

In these moments, technique is not enough. What fails is control under pressure.

Wrestling with Procurement™ addresses how negotiations behave in the field, not in ideal conditions.

Wrestling with Procurement™ is not a phase of the deal. It is a capability activated under stress.

It does not:

• redesign deal architecture upstream
• replace negotiation discipline at the table
• govern post-signature execution or delivery

Those controls are installed by other modules in The Negotiation Surgery™.

This programme installs control over:

• Pressure management
  How teams hold structure when Procurement accelerates, threatens, or escalates.
• Live concession control
  How trades are protected when offers are pushed, reframed, or time-boxed.
• Authority discipline under stress
  How decision rights are enforced when escalation is used to extract value.

These controls are designed for contact with reality.

Wrestling with Procurement™ installs field-ready artefacts, including:

• Pressure response patterns for common Procurement tactics
• Live trading guardrails for compressed negotiations
• Escalation containment logic defining when and how leadership intervenes

These artefacts are used in active, high-stakes negotiations.

Wrestling with Procurement™ is not:

• generic negotiation tactics training
• role-play theatre without live relevance
• a substitute for upstream or execution control

It is a field capability for teams negotiating under professional buyer pressure.

This is not the right starting point if:

• the deal is already structurally lost upstream
• negotiation discipline is weak even in calm conditions
• the primary risk sits in post-signature execution

In those cases, another module should be addressed first.

After Wrestling with Procurement™:

• Negotiations stop collapsing under time pressure
• Concessions are made deliberately, not defensively
• Escalations lose their effectiveness as a buyer weapon
• Teams regain composure and control in hostile rooms

Pressure no longer dictates outcomes.

This module is designed for professionals facing high-leverage buyers.

Primary Audience:

• Sales and Commercial Teams selling into Procurement
• Tender and Bid Teams
• Account Leaders under cost-down pressure

It is calibrated for environments where the buyer controls the process.

Wrestling with Procurement™ is typically delivered as:

• A short, targeted diagnostic of pressure points
• A 1-day intensive field session (on-site or remote)
• Optional support during live negotiations

The format prioritises speed, realism, and immediate application.