{"id":2604,"date":"2026-08-09T13:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emarticon.de\/?page_id=2604"},"modified":"2026-08-09T13:52:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:52:05","slug":"impulse","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/emarticon.de\/en\/impulse\/","title":{"rendered":"New impulses"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For over 25 years, I've been exploring the questions that truly advance companies in strategic procurement and supply chain management. In "Impulses," I share experiences from my project work, contextualize current developments, and challenge established ways of thinking. Not every new method delivers on its promises\u2014and not every proven approach is still the right one today. My goal is to provide guidance, stimulate thought, and offer fresh perspectives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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The turning point in purchasing negotiations is rarely the better argument.<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>

We had already held several rounds of talks. Both sides were familiar with every demand, every counter-demand, and every argument. Despite this, nothing changed.<\/p>\n

A fairly obvious reaction would have been to increase the pressure, negotiate even more aggressively, or present further arguments. I chose a different path.<\/p>\n

When I took over the negotiation of software licenses in the seven-figure range for a large German corporation as an interim manager, it quickly became clear to me:<\/p>\n

The problem wasn't the argumentation. What was lacking was a fresh perspective on the situation.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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A negotiation alternative opened up.<\/h3><\/div>

My suggestion: From now on, our negotiating team will meet every morning for 15 minutes. No status reports. No task lists. No discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, we asked ourselves just one question: "Does anyone have a new idea that could help us move forward?"\u201e<\/span><\/p>\n

The initial reaction was subdued: "We don't come up with something new every day."\u201e<\/span><\/p>\n

But that's exactly what happened. Every morning brought new ideas. Eventually, the perspective on the problem changed. Until finally, someone on the team suggested an alternative procurement method \u2013 and with that, a genuine negotiating alternative opened up for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly we had something we had been missing until then: a choice.<\/b><\/p>\n

At that moment, the dynamics changed completely. Not because we argued more convincingly, but because we had expanded our options.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

The biggest mistake in purchasing negotiations<\/h3><\/div>

After more than 25 years in strategic purchasing, I have come to a conviction:<\/span><\/p>\n

Most purchasing negotiations do not fail due to a lack of persuasiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

They stall because both sides think exclusively within the framework of their existing positions.<\/b><\/p>\n

Those who have no alternative almost always negotiate from a weaker starting position. Those who develop new options, on the other hand, shift the balance of power \u2013 often without raising a single additional argument.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, for me, a successful negotiation strategy begins long before the actual negotiating table. It begins with a simple question: <\/span>What possibilities are we not yet aware of?<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What companies can learn from this<\/h3><\/div>

In our projects at Emarticon, we repeatedly experience that this is exactly where <\/span>the biggest lever for successful purchasing negotiations<\/b> lies.<\/span><\/p>\n

What matters is not more sophisticated presentations or tougher negotiation techniques. What matters is the ability to systematically expand one's own room for maneuver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, in complex procurement and supplier projects, we work with interdisciplinary teams, structured changes of perspective and creative thinking formats. <\/span><\/p>\n

New opportunities rarely arise by chance or in quiet solitude. They can be developed deliberately, and best done as a team.<\/b><\/p>\n

The real competitive advantage doesn't come from better arguments, but from better options. Expanding one's possibilities often changes the entire starting position \u2013 even before further negotiations begin.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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In my experience, it's not the person with the most convincing arguments who wins in the end, but the one who has the better alternatives.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\ud83d\udc49<\/b> Here you will find my negotiation model with the seven principles of successful purchasing negotiations \u2013 developed from more than 25 years of practical experience:<\/b>\u00a0\u2192 Emarticon negotiation model<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>