How do you stand out in a crowd of diverse suppliers? You're all vying for the same contracts and opportunities, so how can you get your firm noticed?

The key is to make it easy for supplier diversity professionals to find you when they need you, and then demonstrate how you can add value to the supply chain.

For diverse suppliers looking to partner with more big companies, diverse certification can’t be beat. 

In our 2018 State of Supplier Diversity reports, 92 percent of the minority-owned businesses that participated in the survey stated they were formally certified as such. Moreover, 87 percent of women-owned businesses, 94 percent of small businesses, and 92 percent of LGBTQ businesses answered yes when asked if they were certified. Although our survey tends to draw organizations active in the supplier diversity community, the numbers still tell a story: Diverse certifications matter.

Are you meeting with a supplier diversity manager from your dream company? Supplier diversity professionals can be your advocates within their companies, so their opinion of you matters.

Let's walk through some common mistakes business owners make when meeting supplier diversity professionals and what you should do instead.

Companies institute and develop supplier diversity programs for a number of reasons, not the least of which is how it enhances their public image in their respective industries and communities. In our 2018 State of Supplier Diversity report, when asked to list primary drivers of their supplier diversity programs, 36 percent of the professionals who answered our survey (note that respondents could select more than one answer) chose “gain market share/enhance brand image.”

Supplier diversity brings high ideals to the business world and the overall economy. Opportunity, inclusion, community, success—these are common goals for supplier diversity professionals and the suppliers they find, hire, and develop. Yet the two sides aren’t as united in achieving these goals as perhaps they should be.