is anybody a buyer ad can help me with some trhoughts about assistant buyer interview

[zippitippitoes]

.....negotiating and influencing/persuading

what sort of things can i say about those

and what can you tell me about true lead terms

and setting key performance measures

what questions would you ask at an interview for an assistant buyer and what are the answers

[zippitippitoes]

any advice from anyone

i am very keen to get this job

[palaver]

when you ran your own business did you need to use negotiating skills? use examples from then

[zippitippitoes]

i can say i negotiated on credit and minimum order size trial quantities etc

not big enough to negotiate on price

im trying to think how to project myself as an influencer

i dont know what the subject of the presentation is yet

[womblingalong]

Zippi,

I have been abuyer, and still am sort of,

Negotiating: I would use your shop experience, about negotiating prices from suppliers down, and maybe with your experience of dealing with bulders and workmen, and negotiating prices. Do they have some specific questions on negotiating?

Influencing/persuading - would talk about finding out what the other party is like, what pushes their buttons etc: i.e potential results, facts and figures, 'expert opinions' etc, and constructing your arguement in the relevant way to that individual.

Key Pefromance Measures - is this wrt to suppliers, or your area's performance?

iF SUPPLIERS, IT WOULD BE ABOUT MEETING CRITICAL DATES, SERICE LEVELS (DELIVering stock when you need it, on time),qulity standards, meeting delivery requirements (i.e complying with company supplier manual if applicable)Using/complying with sytems required by the business, i'e EDI ordering etc.

If for your area, it weould be sales budget, profit/margin target, cost controls, stock levels, stock avalable on time for re-ranging in store etc.

HTH

[womblingalong]

How about usng examples from your life about nfluencing, i.e kids, family, friends, workmen etc.

[zippitippitoes]

performance measures are in relation to suppliers

i think i am going to be up against recent graduates for this so

i have to work on my experience versus possibly business graduates or of course people who have been buying alreday

my plus is being able to act on my own initiative multi task

but i lakc experience of a largve organisation

[zippitippitoes]

compiance with the orgaznisations criteria quality and identifying the needs of the customer base are all critical

its a business with a high profile wrt fair trade etc

[womblingalong]

Other pluses for you IMO are maturity, people skills, interactions with people. Re graduates, you have much more expreience of differnet ways of influencing people, juggling many tasks/demands, managing your time, doing things to a particular standard.

You have also run a small business so you undersand about getting to know what your cusotmer wants, analysing your market/customer base. Ranging/renge selection, pricing, negotating.

Managin stock levels, in store merchadsing, need to manage/amintain display in store, pricing, promotions, cashflow, managing a supplier base, managing and delivering on projetcs etc etc.

sorry for appalling typing and spelling, need to dash, but wanted to help if I could. Good luck!

[zippitippitoes]

thank you my typing is always awful on here need less to say on my cv it is impeccable lol

those are the sorts of things i have outlined so far thank you for your help that has reassured me of my competence

[Portofino]

What sort of things would you be buying? This my area too so maybe able to help a little...

[zippitippitoes]

it is very big charity with a lot of shops and mail order/online retail

so greetings cards books gifts lots with an ethnic root clothes

an international base

[zippitippitoes]

my experience is running my own retail business small independent