I’ve found persistence combined with gratitude really useful. Also visiting suppliers in person helps. An anonymous person over the phone/email is really easy to offer standard answers and say no to, whereas being there in person, explaining your mission, and getting them on board with your urgency means that they experience you as a real person who needs help, and they get to be the person who solves your problem. I think people get satisfaction from helping others, and if you seem like the type of person they want to help, it becomes a mutually beneficial interaction. If you’re on site, there’s also a higher chance of a manager being available to negotiate with.
I’ve found persistence combined with gratitude really useful. Also visiting suppliers in person helps. An anonymous person over the phone/email is really easy to offer standard answers and say no to, whereas being there in person, explaining your mission, and getting them on board with your urgency means that they experience you as a real person who needs help, and they get to be the person who solves your problem. I think people get satisfaction from helping others, and if you seem like the type of person they want to help, it becomes a mutually beneficial interaction. If you’re on site, there’s also a higher chance of a manager being available to negotiate with.