Indiana University Business Diversity

We prefer for you to call between 9 a.m. and 12 noon or between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Also, we strongly encourage you to schedule appointments to meet with the purchasing contract managers who purchase goods or services your business provides. Your sales representative should bring informational materials to the appointment along with a list of companies with whom you conduct business. During the appointment, we recommend that you concentrate on a commodity area where your business is particularly competitive.

We also recommend that you follow-up all contacts with a letter or telephone call. Periodic follow-up calls and letters are critical in establishing a good working relationship with IU.

Before you call upon departmental staff in campus units, you should get permission and instructions from the Purchasing Department. Purchasing contract managers are responsible for keeping departments informed of newly developed procedures and products. If they feel it will be helpful for a representative to contact a department or if someone on campus asks to see a representative, the purchasing contract managers will make the necessary arrangements. Please keep in mind that a release for your representative to make a call on campus does not give you permission to contact other departments or the same department at another time.

IMPORTANT: You should never leave merchandise for evaluation by campus personnel without notifying the Purchasing Department. Furthermore, you should schedule all product demonstrations through the Purchasing Department, or IU will not be liable for lost or damaged materials. You will find that following our procedures will save time and protect you from possible losses. It will also ensure that you will receive any possible request for quotations for the evaluated product.

Also, if you have worked with a department, you should remind the department to use you as the suggested supplier or to include your company's name in a suggested quotation list.