You’ve been a certified WBE for a whole year now, and no business has picked up. What to do? Do you keep your certificate? How do you actually make corporate connections?
In this column, we share the insider advice that our corporate members wish WBEs would know.
1. Understand what supplier certifications are meant for…
If you’re unfamiliar with the world of small business supplier certifications, start off by reading this brief recap. Supplier sourcing is a business practice where corporations and government agencies aim to grow their supply chain by educating more small businesses on their procurement processes and by providing an equal opportunity to compete.
Our corporate members are procurement professionals, serving as the bridge between small business owners (you) and decision makers in their corporation. Their job is to ensure that their corporation is contracting with small businesses that bring new innovations, superior services and products, and competitive pricing.
…And also what they’re not
Being a certified WBE (or any certification) does not guarantee you business.
Yes, procurement professionals care about supporting small businesses. But at the end of the day, they need to ensure that they are hiring or referring the best candidate for the job to their buyers.
We crack open the door to the network, but it is up to you to actually open it. The most successful WBEs build business relationships in order to build their business, have top-of-class products/services, and are ultimately the best fit for the contract.
2. Send your certificate to existing clients
It’s not always about getting new clients, but maintaining good relationships with current ones. Share your certification with existing clients who may have supplier sourcing programs, and encourage your direct contact to share it with their procurement department (if you’re not working with the procurement officer directly). It will be another “nice to have,” and may strengthen your supplier relationship.
After all, it takes much less effort to keep a client than it does to get a new one.
3. Don’t lead with the fact that you’re certified
It sounds counter-intuitive. You worked hard to get certified. But now that you’re talking with a corporate representative, they want to know what you can actually do for them. If you came to them through WBENC or a supplier networking event, they are already assuming you’re certified.
You’ve got about 30 seconds of their attention span. Focus on what makes you stand out as the best business for the job. Your star differentiator shouldn’t be that you’re women-owned, but that you have a strong and unique service, product, or expertise. Lead with that.
4. Focus your capability statement and business description
No one is good at everything. When you list a whole host of different services that you offer (or could offer), the corporate rep reading wants to know what you’re really good at. Think about that drives your revenue on a bad day. What are you known for, and where have you had the most success?
When you recertify, make sure you write a business description that accurately captures what you’re good at. A corporate cares less about your business history and mission and more about your proven track record of services (and thus how you can be successful for them). Make sure you include relevant keywords and NAICS codes so you show up in directory searches.
5. Don’t be a risky prospect… especially if you’re new
A procurement buyer wants to be sure that you’re the best fit for the job and that you’ll do it well. When they award you the contract, they’re sticking their neck out for you. Show them that you are an excellent, low-risk pick with a track record of success.
Give a good first impression online by having a professional looking website set up with client success stories, services, and contact information. Have a branded email set up instead of a gmail.
Corporate buyers can be wary of brand-new businesses (or non-tech savvy owners) that don’t present themselves professionally and display a proven record of success.
6. Get targeted in your approach and do your research
Yes, you have access to the entire WBENCLink directory of both certified businesses as well as our corporate members. But should you just start emailing corporates out of the blue? Definitely not.
Gone are the days of mass cold emails.
Instead, do your research. Search online for their supplier sourcing program, and find out more about what they’re looking for and how their procurement processes work. Are you going to be a good fit for them? Why do you want to target them specifically? Do they have any upcoming supplier networking events where you can learn more?
7. Quality outreach is better than quantity
Once you’ve identified a small handful of relationships that you want to pursue, then reach out. Be specific about why you are targeting them. Be personal. And be prepared that you may not hear back. That’s ok. Sometimes these procurement professionals are overwhelmed with emails of small businesses looking to connect. Sometimes the best way to meet someone is through another avenue, like at a networking event. And yes, sometimes they may not have any interest. But you will be more likely to be successful by sending quality outreach over quantity.
8. Be prepared to build a relationship
People like doing business with people they know and like. Plain and simple.
Think about the last time you hired someone, whether that was a pet sitter or a web designer. How did you get to know them? What kind of relationship did you have before you finally decided to pick them?
Meeting someone once at a networking event doesn’t make a relationship. Continued conversations and mutual trust does. Sometimes this can take months, or even years for this relationship to bloom AND for the right opportunity to come along.
Follow up a couple of times a year, but don’t be pushy. Corporates get asked for coffee more times than there are coffee cups in the cafe. Instead, send a simple greeting with your updated capability statement. Remind them in a friendly way why you’re the best at what you do. Find out if they’re attending an upcoming event. Wish them well for the holidays.
9. Look for facilitated networking formats
No one likes to pitch to someone else at the salad bar. Keep an eye out for the following types of events that make networking easier: matchmakers, meet & greets, roundtables, supplier connections, or “how to do business with xyz company.”
And remember that attending an event is just the beginning. Now you have to cultivate a relationship.
10. Don’t limit yourself to WBEC-East and WBENC events
If you’re just looking for WBEC-East events to network, you’re missing out. Among our network are 14 different regions, with over 20,000 WBEs and 500 procurement members representing major corporations. Check out the full calendar of events for all regions, and sign up to receive event emails from the other regions. Take advantage of virtual programs- you never know what corporate may be active in another region. Your certificate is valid in all 14 regions!
But don’t limit yourself here either.
Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), APEX Accelerators, and even the corporations themselves are all known to host procurement networking events. These events are open to all small businesses. Get on those mailing lists, search online… and read our newsletters too, because we’re constantly sharing these programs with you (and we post them below too).
Check out local events from the small business community
11. Take the answer “no” as a gift
Not every corporate meeting or event you attend will blossom into a business relationship. And not every business relationship will grow into a contract.
And that’s ok. When a rep tells you that they don’t have an opportunity for you or that it’s not a good fit, be grateful! They’ve now given you back precious time that you can use to market yourself elsewhere. Don’t get discouraged, and pep yourself up to look for a better connection.
Wishing you the best as you journey onward into the world of procurement and contracting!
Read next:
3 Reasons Why the WBE Certificate Doesn’t Replace a Strategic Plan