Tom Mills

I'm Tom Mills, Procurement Protagonist. I simplify Procurement. 5000+ Procurement legends get weekly insights from me straight to their inbox. See link below

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

All effective negotiations are delivered through just 4 simple concepts.

Let that sink in.

1. BATNA and ZOPA

➟ Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement
➟ Zone of Possible Agreement

2. The 7 Principles of Negotiation

➟ Attend to Communication Issues
➟ Focus on interests not positions
➟ Work with realistic commitments
➟ Apply objective criteria
➟ Generate options for mutual gain
➟ Compare with your BATNA
➟ Separate the people from the problem

3. The Negotiation Lifecycle

➟ Decide to negotiate
➟ Prepare
➟ Negotiate
➟ Execute
➟ Follow up

4. The Negotiation Clockface

➟ Understanding which part of the clockface the negotiation is on
➟ Adapting your approach accordingly

These negotiation principles when followed correctly are the foundation of all successful outcomes.

They are powerful tools to:

➡️ Understand your position
➡️ Plan and prepare
➡️ Execute accordingly

Start using them today.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

There’s nothing more important

than the quality of the line manager you report into

when it comes to your happiness at work.

[Nick Huber @sweatystartup]

I once logged in for a meeting, introduced myself and a guy spoke non stop for 15 minutes.

All over the place. Couldn’t even nudge in or politely interrupt to get conversation back on track.

Eventually I just interrupted, said I had something come up, logged off and closed the tab.

I had no other choice.

It’s amazing how much a lot of people talk.

Being able to keep it short and concise (email too) is a superpower.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

A barometer of how far Procurement’s progressed

Will be when there are less people saying they just ‘fell into the profession’

Than those who saw it as a brilliant career option from the very start.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

Whenever I get an angry comment or someone sniping at my thoughts on here…

I always check their profile to see if they ever give away any helpful tips or advice themselves.

They never do.

Never fails!

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

Every effective negotiation begins with alignment on just three simple things:

• Vision
• Principles
• Numbers

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

I’ve seen Procurement done badly and the damage that can do.

But when delivered well, I believe it’s the foundation and cornerstone of every successful business.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

At its most fundamental level, successful influencing depends on the answer to just one question

How much do people value your time?

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

I’ve never believed in the statement:

Procurement is a support function.

It implies optionality and sidelining that just devalues us from the very start.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

We went from December 1st to

December 19th in 2 days

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

@costcutpro Exactly

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

Somewhere right now, a Procurement Manager is watching Home Alone 2, eating a mince pie…

…satisfied they issued the RFP in time for a Jan 2nd response deadline.

Listed as a core skill on their LinkedIn are the words:

Supplier Relationship Management.

[Tom Mills @ProcureBites]

You’re as experienced and as clever as the strength and breadth of your network.