“Our ERP already has a procurement module”
Head of Procurement · ERP and finance software
A Head of Procurement whose ERP already has a procurement module, which nobody uses, has told you the real problem. Don't attack the module. Ask why nobody uses it: what people do instead, and what it would take for them to switch.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
Our ERP already has a procurement module. People just don't use it.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "people just don't use it". The buyer has already admitted the module isn't working. The objection is about paying for something they already have.
Acknowledge
Agree that paying for a second procurement tool seems odd when the ERP includes one.
Explore
Ask what people do instead: email, spreadsheets, buying on cards. Ask why they avoid the module: too slow, too complicated, too many approvals. Ask what that costs in spend they can't see or control.
Respond
Position your product around the reasons people avoid the module, and show how it would make the right way the easy way. Be clear about how it connects back to the ERP.
Say this
“That's a fair point. You already pay for a procurement module.”
Say this
“What do people do instead of using it?”
Say this
“What would it take for them to switch?”
Variations
- CFO: “Our ERP can do purchasing. We just need to roll it out properly.”
- Procurement Manager: “Half our spend goes around the system, but that's a policy problem.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a buyer says their ERP already has a procurement module?
Ask why people don't use it and what they do instead. Then position your product around those reasons, showing how it makes compliant buying easier while connecting back to the ERP.
Why do employees avoid ERP procurement modules?
Common reasons are complicated screens, slow approvals and processes designed for finance rather than for the people buying. When the official route is hard, people go around it.
More objections in ERP and finance software
- “Audit will never sign off a change”
- “We've only just upgraded our ERP”
- “Our systems integrator will say no”
- “Our month-end close works”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.