Unless you’re selling a procurement-related product or service, odds are that the individuals in government who manage the purchasing process (“procurement”) are not the same people as the public servants who are your customers (“end users”). During the sales process, you’ll need to make sure you’re working well with both kinds of stakeholders. You need to sell to your end users and meet the compliance needs of their procurement counterparts.
“End users” are your customers - your goal is to sell.
In most public entities, there are individuals who are the ones you need to sell to - your customers or “end users” - who will use the goods or services you provide in their daily work. End users understand what they need to do their work, but they are not usually experts in the procurement process. For instance, if you sell planning software, you’re likely working with someone in the planning department to pitch that individual on the benefits of using your software in his/her daily work.
Procurement professionals are experts in how to buy for their entity - your goal is to not get blocked by or stuck in procurement.
Procurement professionals work either in a centralized purchasing entity, or embedded within a department as experts around completing the procurement process in a way that achieves the end user’s needs and meets compliance requirements. You will need to interact with procurement professionals, and your goal should be to work with them to navigate their compliance needs. One of the ways you can support procurement professionals is by sharing contracts that may help them work with your business in a compliant way. Pavilion can help you manage your portfolio of contracts, for free - get started today.
This guide was edited and reviewed by procurement professionals Kelly Mickelson, Karri Burgess, and Rita Parker, and Sharon Reed.
Kelly Mickelson
Senior Buyer, Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Kelly is a procurement professional with over 20 years of private sector experience and another 18 years in public school systems.
Rita Parker
Program Coordinator, Kansas City Regional Purchasing Cooperative (KCRPC)
Rita has 30 years of government procurement experience as the Program Coordinator for KCRPC, a program of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). Rita is responsible for collaborating with numerous agencies in the Kansas City region across state lines for Kansas and Missouri, including city, county, EMS, Fire, Police, non-profits, and Fire Protection Districts to develop, maintain, and market the cooperative agenda.
Karri Burgess
Contract Administrator, Johnson County
Karri’s career in the procurement field has covered more than 15 years, she has been responsible for procurement, competitive solicitations, and contract administration for multiple agencies including Boulder Valley School District and The Colorado Office of Economic Development.
Sharon Reed
Manager of Procurement & Contract Compliance, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas
Sharon was appointed to the position of Procurement Manager in October of 2014. Previously, she served as Interim Director of Procurement & Contract Compliance. She began working for the Unified Government in 2007 as a Buyer. Today, she manages a staff of 7 and is responsible for the oversight of the Procurement, Procurement Card, and the eProcurement functions. She has procurement experience with the City of Kansas City, MO and in private industry.
