Building Procurement Influence Series:
Part 4 - Developing People's Influence

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Transcript

Dan F: We’ve been talking to John and Dan about the opportunity for procurement, and we’re all getting pretty excited about it. How do we go about selling and influencing the organisation? 

Jacqui P: One of my top tips is actually around storytelling. It’s one of the most underrated, most valuable skills, I think, when it comes to procurement, because when you can get people to connect to the story that you’re trying to tell, if you’re trying to gain influence, you think about that connection to the story. It makes a big difference.

And some of the benefits of good storytelling are around connecting people, connecting the data, the message and the objective, all together to convey one succinct story.

Interestingly, a tip I’ve got from you is around storytelling. When we’re talking, especially in slides or when we’re trying to convey a message, you’re like, what’s the story we’re trying to tell? Good storytelling helps people decide. It helps people connect to the information; it helps to influence from the procurement person’s point of view. It also helps to raise their profile. And it’s just more interesting – when you’re listening to a story and when you can connect all the dots.

When I think about storytelling, I’m thinking about the way that you’re speaking – it’s pitch, it’s tone, it’s pace, but more importantly, it’s what information you’re bringing to that. So, it’s grabbing the data, it’s getting the right graphics – the way the slide looks and feels – and presenting that in a way that can drive a decision, drive influence, drive change, or whatever you’re trying to do through that story.

Dan F: I agree that’s really important, and I think the CPO’s role is about bringing out talent and working with their teams. How do we go about really nurturing our teams?

Jacqui P: Some of the ways to bring out these skills and attributes in your team members are, obviously there’s training, but the biggest win you can have is around giving people space and coaching them around taking risks, around decision making, and nurturing their ability to be internal consultants. They’ll really get across the cross-functional and raising their own profile and getting more confident in the way that they’re influencing and interacting across the business. And that can make such a big difference to people’s growth and their ability to change and develop themselves.