Procurement pros—what’s a supplier red flag you’ll never ignore again?

I’ve been in procurement long enough to know that when a supplier gives you that first bad gut feeling, you should listen to it.

For me, it’s suppliers who disappear after initial interest, then pop back up six months later acting like nothing happened. Or the ones who insist they can ‘scale production’ but can’t actually explain how. Or—and this is a big one—the ones who clearly don’t understand contract expectations and think the terms are just ‘suggestions.’

I’ve been trying to work through why these things are so common, and honestly, I don’t think most suppliers even realize how much they’re shooting themselves in the foot. So I started doing something kind of weird for me—I made a YouTube video about it. I still feel awkward putting myself out there like this, but I figure, why not? If it helps even one supplier not tank a deal, it’s worth it. If you’re curious, here’s the video: https://youtu.be/r_Cj5IZHoYA.

But I’m genuinely curious—what’s a supplier red flag that, once you see it, you’re out?

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