Top Strategies for Sales Negotiation
One of the topics we cover in our training programs is sales negotiation techniques. Many salespeople are not very effective negotiators. Unfortunately, (at least for them) their prospects tend to be excellent negotiators. Sadly, it is not a fair fight.
Howard Baker said, “The most difficult thing in any negotiation is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.” And here is the deal with emotion – when emotion is high, decision-making is low. It is precisely why most people want to avoid grocery shopping when they are hungry.
Mark’s Top Strategies for Sales Negotiation
Here are just a few simple tips and reminders that will make you a more effective negotiator:
- Know who is holding the cards. In every single negotiation, somebody is holding the cards, meaning they have the high ground or leverage. If you get this wrong, you are well on your way to negotiating poorly.
- Make sure you always know that you are in a negotiation. Chris Voss has said, “The most dangerous negotiation is the one you don’t know you are in.” Almost everything in life comes down to something being negotiated.
- Just like a sales call, you need to execute a pre-call plan. Know where you have ground to give and where you don’t. You should anticipate what you will be asked to do or concede and how you will respond when that ask is made.
- Remember, it is not personal…it is just a business transaction. The moment you let your emotions take over, you are well on your way to an ineffective negotiation. Hold in those emotions. Do not let anyone see that you are bothered, upset, or offended (even if you are).
- Before you decide to entertain a request to amend your price or your terms, you should always know what happens if you make the concession. If you blindly agree to do something without knowing what it means for the next steps, you will invite even more negotiation moving forward. Consider saying something like, “Suppose I get that done, or suppose I agree to that… where would that then leave us in terms of moving forward?”
Negotiating is a skill, and that skill can be and should be developed.
Suppose I told you I could help you with that…. would you….
Just kidding.
From Mark Trinkle, Chief Growth Officer
Anthony Cole Training Group
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