Expanding The Influence Of Supplier Diversity

Below is an excerpt from a special insights paper written by Wipp Enterprises CEO Nicole Wipp specifically for Supplier Diversity and Supplier Procurement Managers. The entire easy-to-read, straightforward text will be available at the 16th Annual Great Lakes Women's Business Conference, or, if you are a supplier diversity manager or professional and would like a copy, please contact Nicole via LinkedIn.

If you have a goal of expanding the influence of your Supplier Diversity Program, adapting communications to specific stakeholder decision-making styles is the most effective method of getting buy-in. 

When it comes to gaining internal support for your diverse suppliers, a one-size-fits-all approach to key stakeholders and decision-makers just won’t do. 

Research shows* that we all take action when it comes to problem-solving and decision-making very differently – and when we try to use the methods that would work best for us, we are only reaching a small portion of the decision-making population.

In the following pages, several strategies are outlined to customize support and buy-in for Supplier Diversity. When it comes to the M.O.’s described in 1 - 6, approximately 20-25% of the general population initiates in each one of the decision-making processes in the described way – and when it comes to #9, the distribution is about 10% of the total population. If you’re just doing one or two, you’re only reaching 20-50% of the influencers in your organization.

(Be aware that your company’s hiring practices may result in a skewed distribution of the processes described below, so even though these statistics are true of the general population, the mix in your particular organization may be quite different – good, or bad!)

 It’s tempting to stick with certain methods of persuasion, but your efforts won’t be as effective as you may wish until you strategically adapt to action-taking styles that have the power to influence.

To create a well-rounded, persuasive diversity supplier procurement campaign, we recommend that you incorporate each of the elements below…and watch your buy-in soar!

*”On Kolbe Capabilities and Research”: Laurie Waisel, Ph.D. 2013

Strategy #1: Create a One-Pager of Diversity Benefit “Bottom-Liners”

Did you know that 20-25% of the total population always starts decision-making and problem solving with the end in mind? These individuals are guided by the bottom line and the “big picture.” 

You know you’re dealing with someone like this when they prefer to have the result before hearing the data.

Help them get to the crucial facts of the benefits of supplier diversity by providing targeted, straightforward facts about the bottom line benefits in a single page document.

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Nicole Wipp is the founder and CEO of Wipp Enterprises LLC, a consulting and training firm that provides a range of leadership, team creation, team building and retention services to large companies, and to the small business/entrepreneur market as NicoleWipp.com. She also leads a highly successful boutique elder law firm. 

In these capacities, Nicole is a sought after expert on numerous topics related to building successful businesses through powerful teams, has spoken on numerous stages nationwide, is a frequent guest on top podcasts, and has authored a number one bestselling book. Wipp Enterprises is a Kolbe Certified solutions provider and is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).