How to engage your suppliers virtually

In this new world of remote work and online meetings, good communication with our suppliers has never been more critical.

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Ever had one of those extremely awkward Zoom chats? The ones where you consider severing your internet connection or simply turning off your computer because it’s just too hard? Or alternatively, and perhaps worse, the ones where you feel as if a previously strong relationship is fading away at lightning speed? 

In the new world of work, almost all of us are becoming familiar with remote work and remote relationships. And while many of us have invested in continuing our strong working relationships with our procurement colleagues and managers, one area that has fallen by the wayside a little bit is our virtual relationships with our suppliers. 

This is definitely not a good thing. From suppliers viewing interactions as transactional, to them blatantly calling the shots, poor relationships have a myriad of consequences. That being the case, how do you best engage suppliers virtually? 

1. Get personal 

If you’ve always been one to hold your personal cards close to your chest at work, then we don’t blame you. When it comes to supplier relationships, there’s more than one reason why you need to at least feel you have the upper hand. 

However, given how difficult it can be to build rapport virtually with anyone, when working on your virtual supplier relationships, it’s important to try to get at least a little personal. And if you don’t feel like sharing any of your own personal details, try to ask questions that relate to your supplier’s experiences. For example, how are they managing working from home? How do they feel about any current news or events? Do they have children and if so, how are they going? 

It’s never too late to ask these questions and make these important connections. Regardless of how busy you are, a couple of minutes of personal chat at the start of a call can help transform it from an icy conversation to the beginnings of a better relationship. 

2. Be succinct

What’s worse than a long, boring and pointless meeting in the office? 

A long, boring and pointless meeting on Zoom. There really is nothing worse than being stuck in a terrible meeting, but knowing that your face is on camera anyway and you have to do an I’m-actually-interested face. 

Do not – we repeat – do not subject your suppliers to this. Out of politeness, they will endure it, but they will quickly get frustrated. It’s not ok to assume their time isn’t as valuable to them as it is to you. 

Human beings are also hard-wired for personal interaction, and naturally remember conversations and information more when they are in the physical presence of others (after all, it’s a lot easier to exert influence this way.) For this reason, when you’re talking to suppliers via Zoom, make sure you’re succinct, and end every conversation with a repetition of key points and actions. It’s also always best-practice to follow this up with an email, if that isn’t something you’re doing already. 

3. Try recording yourself and asking for feedback

Presenting in person can feel terrifying, and it can feel easier to present online. But how do you know how effective your online presentations are if you can’t gauge the reactions of your suppliers? If this is something you’re concerned about, the best thing to do is to record yourself delivering your presentation beforehand, and either ask for feedback or self-critique what you’ve delivered. 

A couple of things to watch out for when presenting online are: 

• Your voice: it shouldn’t be hard to hear or monotonous.

• How you engage your suppliers: if you haven’t pre-planned times to engage, you’ll need to insert them so you know how your supplier is feeling and if they have any questions. 

• Pauses: online audiences are typically shyer, so there may be pauses throughout the conversation. However, ensure you use these to ask questions, as opposed to rambling on. 

• Your visibility: many presenters opt to only share their screen or their slide, but be sure to also have your camera on, so your suppliers can see your facial expressions. This will help them better engage. 

Building relationships online with suppliers is certainly not easy. To learn more about how to do, be sure to attend our upcoming session, How to Make Your Presence Felt When You Can’t Meet Face-To-Face, presented by the talented team from Phuel. The session will be held on 25 May from 2:00pm. 

This session is for The Faculty Roundtable members only. Not a member? For more information, please contact [email protected].