Sales Tips from Coca-Cola

Suppliers hoping to step up to the big leagues with a company like Coca-Cola must bring a solid value proposition to the table if they want to play, according to an interview in Inc. Ken Carty, vice president and chief procurement officer at Coca-Cola, noted the company has a solid set of suppliers in place, but does work with multiple suppliers in any given area to ensure they have a well-rounded roster. While one supplier may be cutting-edge in innovation (but relatively costly), another supplier of the same items might focus exclusively on the cost structure.

Carty added Coca-Cola has taken tangible steps to formalize the bid process to ensure vendors dont get lost in the massive infrastructure. Small businesses need to get with us earlier; the first time we hear from you should not be at bid time, he told Inc. Were very open about what were trying to accomplish. Come in, spend the time, do your homework, and you should have a pretty good understanding of what we need. However, he said, trying for an end run with name dropping is more apt to get the boot rather than easier access.

Carty said the company is looking for ingredients, packaging materials, vending machines and warehousing services.