Show your value, grow your business:

A SUPPLIER GUIDE TO MOVE FROM A TRANSACTIONAL PROVIDER TO A STRATEGIC PARTNER

KAREN A. CALINSKI

INTRODUCTION /02

At KellyOCG we take a holistic approach to talent sourcing and management.

Known as Talent Supply Chain Management, this strategy allows clients to focus on

having the right talent to achieve their business goals while KellyOCG ensures the

right processes and suppliers are in place to provide the needed talent.

Unique to the workforce solutions industry, KellyOCG has a Supplier Development

team dedicated to supplier growth, mentorship and advocacy with the objective of

identifying qualified suppliers and matching them to our client’s needs. The team has

representation in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions as well as, representatives

that focus on diversity and inclusion initiatives. This Talent Supply Chain team keeps

abreast of the growing industry trends; including, but not limited to: Online Staffing

Communities, Independent Contractors, Statement of Work Providers and boutique

search firms.

The intent of this guide is to offers suppliers a few tips on how to break through the

clutter and become a trusted business partner. It includes recommendations on how

to establish yourself, get on-boarded to a program, and then further expand your

relationship from a transactional supplier to a strategic partner and thereby grow

your business.

INTRODUCTION /03

Staffing Suppliers: businesses that source and supply talent either directly to an

“end client” or through a “third-party service provider” that acts on behalf of the

“end client”.

End Client: the buyer organization to which talent (staff) or the work product is

ultimately delivered.

Third-party service provider: a workforce solutions company that acts on

behalf of an end client to manage their supply chain of staffing suppliers. This is the

connection through which staffing suppliers gain access to client-driven opportunities.

/0401

Where should you start?

A valuable conversation or series of conversations—this is the key to a successful relationship.

But how do you define value for someone you have never even met?

How do you determine what a potential client wants and needs from you before you

even get a foot in the door?

Leading a valuable conversation requires a little research up front, but it is well worth

the effort. Among many other benefits, this will help you determine where the genuine

opportunities lie; it will save your time and theirs.

The most important piece of advice for beginning a positive sales interaction with a

target client is to ask the right questions upfront. This will ensure you’re having the

right conversation with the right person at each stage of the sales process.

Clearly, you’re unlikely to land a big new contract in a single phone call, and you will

probably need to speak with many different people over a period of time to achieve

your outcomes. However, careful consideration of who you’re speaking with, and what

they need to know at that particular point in time, will help to lay the foundation for a

successful relationship.

WHERE SHOULD YOU START? /05

Connect through the established processes: Find out if the third-party service provider has a team responsible for managing their supplier network. For example, KellyOCG has a dedicated supplier advocate team responsible for developing mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

Do’s:

• Find an advocate: Well-organized businesses that take their supplier relationships

seriously will have people whose role it is to advocate for, and work alongside their

suppliers. Seek this role out first. Ask them directly about what they expect and

need from you. You can do this through LinkedIn, online through the company’s

website or by calling the organization and asking them to help you find the right

contact. Adhere to established processes and protocol.

• Ask how you can help: when you find your advocate, consider how you might

help them first. What information could you help them gather? How might you

supply information on a specific solution that they are unsure about? Sharing your

knowledge and information about an industry, client or trend is a way to provide

value to any relationship.

/06WHERE SHOULD YOU START?

Ask them directly about what they expect and need from you.

Don’ts:

• Don’t rely solely on an existing contact to open doors: If you know someone

already inside your target organization it is natural to start out by contacting

that person. However, it is important not to rely solely on that relationship to get

your entire sales message through to the right people. This can put pressure on

the wrong individuals and you may not get the direct feedback you need about

targeting future messages.

• Don’t make assumptions: ask for information to help you target your

communications and help solve the end-client’s problems. Don’t assume you

have the right solution already.

• If there is third-party service provider (MSP) in place, don’t go around

the system. This will be viewed negatively by the client.

/07WHERE SHOULD YOU START?

Ask for information to help you target your communications.

/0802

Know your customer(s)

Lead every conversation with knowledge and understanding of the ‘big picture’.

Clearly, as a supplier you will have two customers: the third-party service

provider partner as well as the end client. Understanding how the third-party service

provider operates, what they look for, how programs are built, and what their key

objectives are is as important as knowing your end client’s business inside and out.

Being well-researched on both gives you the best possible opportunity to develop a

strong relationship.

What are the key challenges each of them faces right now? How can you help

them without creating more work or asking for large-scale changes in a current

program that may already be underway? How can you add value and prove

yourself first?

When you know your customers, you know their pain points, their preferred ways

of operating and their competitive landscape. When you know your customers you

are in a better position to help them solve any problems they might have (and land

the account).

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER(S) /09

When you know your customers you are in a better position to help them solve any problems.

Do’s:

• Research before you talk: most organizations provide information and guides to

assist you with your initial conversations. Showing that you took the time to research

this information demonstrates that you are interested in building a relationship that

goes beyond the transactional.

• Be patient for results: if you’re having the right conversations with the right

people and you have solutions to offer, the opportunities are likely to follow.

However, it’s critical to understand the complexity of supplier network relationships

and lead-times in different programs. Manage your expectations and those of your

own organization realistically.

• Ask for feedback: when things don’t go your way, find out why.

/10KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER(S)

It is critical to understand the complexity of supplier network relationships.

Don’ts:

• Don’t assume you know how the third-party service provider or the end

client feel about other suppliers: It’s one thing to understand your differentiating

features and why you might be able to offer a better service or product than your

competitors. However, your target customers may want to get to know you first

before hearing about the weaknesses of their other suppliers. They want and need

proof of the benefits of working with you, so work on this first.

• Don’t look for different answers from different people: Even when you do have

multiple contacts inside an organization, ensure transparency in your conversations

and make sure you understand how decisions apply and when they are final.

/11KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER(S)

Your target customers may want to get to know you first.

/1203

Find the right tone

FIND THE RIGHT TONE /13

Being a great sales and client relationship manager takes tact and tenacity, in the right measures. You need to know when to push a little harder, and when to back off—and that’s not always easy.

Most end clients and third-party provider partners will accept that it is part of your

role as a sales or account manager to create new opportunities for your organization.

However, doing this with a tone that respects those company cultures, and the person

you’re building a relationship with, is crucial.

When you know you’ve built some genuine trust and interest in your capabilities, ask

for a short meeting to give you the opportunity to prove yourself.

Once you have it, make it count.

Do’s:

• Ask them what kind of meeting suits them: you may want to present

face-to-face every time, but if they would prefer a conference call, be receptive

to their needs.

• Keep it brief: short, effective meetings are what potential partners want. If they

want more information, make it available and keep the conversation going.

• Send a short, professional information pack before your meeting: pique their

interest and give them key background statistics or details so you can spend more

time during the meeting focusing on the information that matters.

• Create a quick value proposition: be clear, convincing and succinct about how

you differentiate yourself from your competitors. Talk about your value (not just why

you think you’re great). Consider issues such as broader strategic relationships or

technology you have access to that might make their lives easier.

• Focus on metrics: Speak about the numbers that matter to both your third-party

service provider partner and the end client. Name the top 10 skills you filled this

quarter; which locations are your strongest; what is your average cycle time.

/14FIND THE RIGHT TONE

Talk about your value (not just why you think you’re great).

/15FIND THE RIGHT TONE

Value is often created when there was a need and a business partner responded with a solution.

Dont’s:

• Don’t forget your audience: Focus on the issues that matter to them. Long

presentations with a detailed history of your company, or where all your teams are

located may not be what they want to hear most. Put yourself in their shoes and

tailor each presentation to suit.

• Don’t promise the world: Be honest and upfront about what skills/specialties you

can provide, rather than attempting to fill “all roles”. Value is often created when

there was a need and a business partner responded with a solution. By pinpointing

your specialty and applying your expertise to a client need—you will be seen as

strategic and trusted.

• Don’t ignore errors: Be professional in your communications. Make sure they are

spell-checked, accurate and addressed appropriately.

• Don’t use gimmicks: Understand that your email may not have the same

importance to your client as it may have to you, so don’t use fear tactics or

misleading subject headings just to get your email opened. Your email may end

up being marked as “spam” without you realizing.

/1604

Be different, act different

BE DIFFERENT, ACT DIFFERENT /17

What differentiates you from your competitors?

Have you developed specific high-quality capabilities in Asia-Pacific or do you have

experience in developing economies within South America or Eastern Europe?

Do you have one thing you can talk about that you know your competitors will find

difficult to replicate?

When you know what your differentiating points are, focus on them in your

conversations so that your service provider partner can make an informed decision

about whether or not you are what the end client needs. Help them compare your

product and value quickly and easily so they can advocate on your behalf.

/18/18BE DIFFERENT, ACT DIFFERENT

Do’s:

• Be factual: back up your differentiation with metrics and communicate

them clearly.

• Be specific: Statements such as “we are a leading...” or “we are a top provider...”

are statements you should be able to substantiate with specific proof points.

• Stick to what’s relevant: you may have differentiating features that are less

relevant to some end clients than others. Focus on what matters most and provide

more information if asked.

/19

The whole point of being different is that you offer something no one else does.

/19BE DIFFERENT, ACT DIFFERENT

Don’ts:

• Don’t try to be everything to everyone: the whole point of being different is that

you offer something no one else does. Being clear about this ensures you align with

the service provider partners and end clients that really need you.

• Don’t use out-of-date information: When you secure a sales meeting, deliver

accurate, up-to-date responses that enable a quick decision. Stay in touch with how

the market is evolving so you are seen as a valued industry thought leader.

/02005

Expanding on your success

EXPANDING ON YOUR SUCCESS /21

If you do become a supplier to a third-party service provider, remember why you were brought on when you’re planning ways to grow accounts.

Usually, you’re there because:

• you communicated effectively about your offering

• you managed the right relationship in a respectful and helpful way

• you offered a solution the end client needed

• you delivered consistently

Being added to a new program is not just about your capabilities, but also the maturity

of the end clients’ supplier optimization efforts. Every client relationship is based

on demand (and performance). You were successful in responding to demand by

supplying a solution, and this is the key to keeping and growing every account.

Every client relationship is based on demand (and performance).

/22

Your focus should be on marketing the talent you have access to that helps meet the end client’s needs.

/22EXPANDING ON YOUR SUCCESS

If you do want to grow an account, think of your opportunities in the following ways:

• Succeed in your offerings—meet client demand; perform well during the

evaluation (scorecard process)—and do so consistently. By having documented,

repeated success you have proven your capabilities and become dependable to

the third-party service provider

• Be proactive and help come up with solutions: determine what you can do to

improve the service your third-party partner delivers to the end client. How can you

support their business objectives in order to secure your own?

• Be flexible and innovate: think of new ways or solutions to partner with a third-

party service provider. MSP and Master Vendor/Staffing relationships are no longer

the only ways to partner or obtain access to new clients. As part of a talent supply

chain approach, your focus should be on marketing the talent you have access to

that helps meet the end client’s needs. If you can alter your own processes to suit

these different needs, you will be valuable.

• Stay on top of trends: what are you seeing in your engagements that is relevant

elsewhere? Where do you see new opportunities that both you, your third-party

service provider partner and the end client might benefit from? Share information

and help your service provider partner to innovate too.

/23

Every interaction matters when you are looking to evolve your relationship from a transactional supplier to a strategic partner.

When you consistently demonstrate a clear understanding of the ‘big picture’, and of

your distinct capabilities within the solution delivery process, you will provide the kind

of value that end clients and third-party service providers want and need more of.

Regardless of which third-party solutions provider you work with (or want to work with

in the future), here are some recommended best practices:

• know your customer(s)

• speak from a position of real knowledge and true capability

• differentiate your service offering

• be proactive and flexible

Conclusion

/24/24

TALENT SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (TSCM): is a proactive approach to securing and optimizing talent supply and services through all input channels. It integrates the management of both the permanent and contingent workforces to determine the optimal mix and strategic value of all human capital within the organization.

PROGRAM OFFICE (FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT): this is the people, processes and technology set up by an MSP, MV or BPO/RPO provider to manage talent sourcing and management. It is the structure through which all HR/recruitment suppliers are managed.

MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER (MSP): A company that takes on primary responsibility for managing an organization’s contingent workforce program and the various sourcing models within it. Typical responsibilities of an MSP include overall program management, reporting and tracking, supplier selection and management, order distribution, and consolidated billing.

DIRECT TALENT SUPPLY: this is when individual recruitment and HR companies work directly with an employer to provide talent sourcing and management services.

MASTER VENDOR: A staffing supplier that takes overall responsibility for providing clients with temporary staff. All orders will usually go first to the master supplier to either be filled or distributed to secondary suppliers. Sometimes a master supplier will not only provide a significant portion of the temporary staff working at the employer’s site but also manage an organization’s contingent workforce program.

Definitions

EXIT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KAREN A. CALINSKI is a lead consultant in the KellyOCG Talent Supply Chain Management Practice,

providing expertise across the Americas. She is integral in developing supply base relationships

that support the success of Kelly workforce solutions. In her role she serves as an advocate for the

suppliers by providing them guidance in new opportunities and mentorship in existing relationships.

Karen joined the KellyOCG Contingent Workforce Outsourcing practice in 2001 and has held

progressively more responsible positions in MSP program operations and strategic account development. In her

roles she has consulted with clients on their supply strategy and how best to respond to changes in labor demands.

Additionally, she has advised clients and suppliers on data analytics and supplier scorecarding. Under her guidance,

suppliers have ranked KellyOCG as a Top Provider for MSP services.

Karen received her Bachelor’s in Science degree from the University of Maryland in 1998. She holds the Certified

Outsourcing Professional designation from the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals.

ABOUT KELLYOCG

KellyOCG®, the Outsourcing and Consulting Group of workforce solutions provider, Kelly Services, Inc., is a global leader

in integrated workforce solution delivery for clients worldwide, utilizing proven talent supply chain strategies. In addition to

integrated solutions, KellyOCG specializes in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO),

Contingent Workforce Outsourcing (CWO), Human Resources Consulting, Career Transition and Executive Coaching &

Development, and Executive Search. Further information about KellyOCG may be found at kellyocg.com.

KellyOCG was named in the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® 2014 Global

Outsourcing 100® list, an annual ranking of the world’s best outsourcing service providers and advisors.

For more thought leadership go to talentproject.com