“Persuasion is about your intent. If your intent is soley to win at the other person's expense, that's manipulation. If you want the other party to also benefit from the conversation, then that's collaborative, and that's ethical persuasion."“-Martin John
Procurement teams are under greater pressure than ever to deliver results on savings, risk, ESG, resilience, and so much more. But the biggest challenges aren’t technical. They’re human.
Whether it’s earning stakeholder buy-in, bringing a supplier along on a cost transformation, or leading a team through change, outcomes hinge on procurement’s ability to influence.
In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, I speak with Martin John, a seasoned procurement practitioner and licensed ethical persuasion trainer. Martin has spent decades in the trenches and now helps procurement teams apply behavioral science and persuasion strategy to everyday challenges, from negotiation to leadership.
Here, in Martin’s own words, are some stand-out moments from our conversation:
Cialdini’s Seven Principles, and Why Context Is Key
"The seven principles are: Reciprocity, Liking, Social Proof, Authority, Scarcity, Commitment & Consistency, and Unity. The key thing is not just knowing what the principles are, but how to apply them in your situation, when to apply them, and how to amplify their effect to give you the biggest results."
There’s real power in having a shared framework like this, but the value only shows up in context. It’s not about checking boxes or memorizing principles; it’s about understanding how humans actually behave under pressure and designing your approach accordingly. Whether you’re influencing a skeptical stakeholder or a reluctant supplier, your ability to match the message to the moment is what makes the difference.
Why Data Alone Isn’t Enough
“My feelings do not care about your facts…We in procurement rely so heavily still on logic, facts, and data, but we're missing out on pathos and the emotional connection. The principles Cialdini came up with…they all trigger the response in the subconscious mind. We make decisions twice. Firstly, we make it emotionally. And then secondly, we make it logically.”
We all love the idea that a perfect business case will carry the day. But procurement isn’t just a rational function, it is a relationship function. If we ignore emotional drivers, we risk delivering fact-based insights that never gain traction. To lead effectively, especially in moments of change, we need to tap into both the head and the heart.
Building Trust… Fast
“You can build the sensation and the feelings of trust in microseconds. And these…are subconscious things. Even your appearance, your smile, the way you engage with that person, the tone of your voice, all of these things can lead to you achieving that first principle, which is liking.”
This stuck with me. Procurement professionals don’t always think of themselves as brand ambassadors, but we are. Every conversation, every meeting, every stakeholder interaction is an opportunity to build trust (or lose it). If our presence, tone, and intent don’t align, we might never get the chance to share our message. First impressions matter more than we think.
Persuasion Is a Learnable Skill
“We rely too heavily on logic, and we don't necessarily know how to persuade, because persuasion is based on science. Like I said, almost 100 years of behavioral science. So we know scientifically which principles can work, but I think it's still way under the radar from a procurement understanding perspective.”
There’s a myth that some people are “natural” persuaders and others aren’t. The truth is, persuasion is a discipline. It can be studied, practiced, and developed, just like category strategy or supplier relationship management. The more we treat influence as a learnable skill, the more we enable our teams to lead, not just operate.
Decision-Making Isn’t as Rational as We Think
“We have…over 100 biases that we have as humans. Kahneman showed that up to 95% of our decisions are made subconsciously and automatically, even in the B2B world.”
I’ve seen it myself: the best strategies fail when they’re pitched to an idealized version of how people should think, rather than how they actually do. If we want our ideas to land, we need to account for how people frame problems, respond to pressure, and make trade-offs in real time. Behavioral science gives us that lens.
If procurement wants influence, this is what it takes: not just technical expertise, but the ability to communicate ideas in a way that moves people. Influence is the multiplier. And ethical persuasion is how we get there.
