MiNetwork Midlands event to reveal why procurement bosses don't care about agencies
Former procurement and buying boss Christopher Barrat is set to speak at MiNetwork’s next bi-monthly Chapter meeting in Birmingham and give some insights into how agencies can win more business by understanding how large clients think and operate when sourcing and commissioning marketing services.
Barrat is an established and well respected international speaker, consultant and author in commercial management and leadership skills and heads up Greystone. His knowledge is based on genuine experience in the real world where he has held positions including purchasing director, sales manager and business manager for a number of large blue chip clients including Rank Xerox and ICI.
Christopher’s session will cover areas such as how procurement professionals think about what you do as marketers, why they donlt care about the ‘added value’ you can and often do offer them, how you can use your knowledge as power when dealing with buyers and how you can use the difference between ‘price’ and ‘cost’ to your advantage when selling your services.
MiNetwork members from across the Midlands, which include McCann Erickson, Freestyle Interactive, Key Parker, Chapter, Rave, Unagency, One Black Bear, LHM and RBH among others, will hear from Barrat at the next bi-monthly Chapter meeting, which takes place on Thursday 21st March at Fazeley Studios in Birmingham from 6pm onwards.
Richard Draycott, managing director of MiNetwork, said : “Having seen Christopher speak on a number of occasions before, I can honestly say that his insights as a former buyer of everything from marketing services to widgets are fascinating and it is easy to see how so many marketing services agencies do themselves a dis-service when tendering and pitching for large chunks of business because they misjudge how the procurement department they are dealing with views what they are doing. Having a deeper understanding of how the people you are selling to operate can only help you to sell to them and I’m sure MiNetwork members will find the session informative, enlightening and entertaining.”
MiNetwork is the UK-wide network for ambitious agency owners looking to take their agencies to the next level and supports them by providing members with a tailored programme of meetings and networking opportunities, activities, information resources, services and products to help build their own management and leadership knowledge and skills.
To find out how MiNetwork can support you in growing your management and leadership skills please contact Chris Morton on 0141 559 6068, email chris.morton@thedrum.com or visit MiNetwork's website for more information.