“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

Mark Twain

First, they spent considerable time looking for access to decision-makers working at Google. Learning quickly that the company has no central phone number, and Google.com was no help, they turned to LinkedIn.com. On this social media site, they were able to make connections with various employees and managers at Google. From these connections, they were directed to a diversity supplier online portal managed by Google. The process of creating connections on LinkedIn and finding someone who shared information about their Supplier Diversity portal took 3 weeks. So, he completed the registration, uploaded the required documents, and waited.

“To lose patience is to lose the battle.”

Mahatma Gandhi

A month later, he received an email from a Supplier Diversity Manager responsible for his product. You see, a firm as large as Google has dozens of Supplier Diversity Managers, each covering a specific industry or product. The manager thanked him for becoming part of the Google Supplier network and said if they needed his product, they would be in touch. Not much of a welcome, however, the real value of the email was that it contained the name of the Supplier Diversity Manager responsible for his products.

“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”

Tom Peters

Responding immediately, he expressed his desire to send samples, meet the buyers, attend any conferences or tradeshows, send marketing materials; anything he can do to separate himself from the competition. He waited another month before receiving an answer. The Supplier Diversity Manager called him using an unlisted number (Google can be complicated). The manager stated she was responsible for working with 50 buyers who can, if they choose, buy his products.  She would be happy to provide the buyers with samples of his product but first, he had to complete another extensive report. They wanted pictures, descriptions, SKU, weight, sizes, pricing, and a host of other information. He received the report, invested time taking professional pictures, and completing the report exactly as they required, sent it in. This process took at least 2 weeks.

“Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value.”

Albert Einstein

Almost 2 months later, he received an email stating he was to deliver 50 samples of his product, to a specific address, exactly at a specific time, and deliver them to a specific person. Oh, and he had three days’ notice from when he received the email to when they wanted the samples. This had TEST written all over it. This Supplier Diversity Manager wanted to make sure he could follow exact instructions and they could count on him before they did business with him. So, following their instructions, he personally delivered 50 samples to the person specified. Then he waited another 6 weeks.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.“

Benjamin Franklin

Then finally, yes there is a happy ending. 5 of the 50 Buyers within Google expressed interest in placing an order for their department. Of course, the first orders were small, but again, prove you can do well with the small orders, and larger orders soon followed. He never had any other contact with the Supplier Diversity Manager, except a heartfelt thank you email he sent.

Of course, not all Prime Contractors or large firms will act like this. Doing business with Primes is an uphill battle and it is never easy, but the reward can be fulfilling and profitable. Navigating the steps, procedures, and potential opportunities within a large firm is made easier by the Supplier Diversity Managers. So, the investment of your time and energy into creating and building relationships with these Managers is in your best interest even though you might not see immediate results.

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If you are looking for help with government contracting or want no-cost help to find contracting opportunities, please contact your Norcal APEX Accelerator counselor for assistance or apply for services today!

If you have more questions, please contact us at info@norcalptac.org or 707.267.7561

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