A Look at ERA‘s b2b Market Research
Our business comes from all types of industries including manufacturing, professional services, retail, healthcare, education, automotive, not for profit, b2b market research and many others, the majority of which come from the SME sector.
Why is there space for us to occupy?
If you think about it, the typical B2B transaction takes place between a sales person and the buyer. On average those sales people are better motivated, better rewarded and more highly incentivized to sell more and create margin than a buyer is to make savings.
Sales people often sell based on what they feel they can get away with and maximizing margins maximizes their income. Inside organizations, responsibility for buying is often tacked onto someone’s existing responsibilities – and they are not typically trained in effective procurement. This means that our expertise can be used and measured to save time, money and add value.
Why can’t organizations do better for themselves?
Most organizations turning over less than $50million won’t have a procurement department. For those that do, the team is typically focused on their highest costs – often purchasing goods for resale or raw materials. Expertise in buying one product or service doesn’t necessarily translate into buying others. Sometimes you need the training and support.
How does our expertise add value?
It’s not practical, or sensible to have (for example) a photocopy or fleet expert on staff if you only negotiate your contract once every four years. However, having one on your side of the negotiating table when you do, means that they can use their market knowledge, price visibility and understanding of contracts to significantly reduce their outgoings when compared to historic prices. Their expertise enables you to measure savings, improve bottom lines for your client, and generate income for yourself.
