Tips for negotiating a situation to get the results you want.
- Know what you are selling.
If you are not confident about the products or services that you are selling, then you are in a negative position even before you start negotiating with a prospect. To avoid this situation, make sure that you take the time to learn about all the different products and services that you are selling. Preparation is your best friend when it comes to negotiation!
- Listen
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” – Stephen Covey.
Listening is one of the most important skills when it comes to negotiating. As a salesperson it is easy to rush in providing solutions to a prospect only to discover that we have misunderstood. This often happens when we have listened to reply and not listened to understand their needs.
- Find areas of agreement.
Some salespeople find this a bit confusing when I share this point with them during my selling skills workshops. Why? Because they think they will lose face if they have to adjust their initial proposition. With a little luck, you will only be a little way off with your initial proposal. It is a good idea to have at least two proposals as this will help in the negotiation process as the prospect can clearly see what options they have. Prospects will often respond more favorably when they feel they have a choice.
- Keep your emotions under control.
There may be times during the negotiation process that you experience feelings of frustration. This will most likely happen when the prospect is not seeing things from your point of view. In all my years of coaching hundreds of salespeople I have never seen a positive outcome from a salesperson losing their cool with a prospect. If you feel your emotions getting the better of you, remember you are always a professional and need to keep your emotions under control.
- Remain flexible.
The prospect may have different ideas, values, and perspectives than you about their business needs. If this is the case, you will do well to remain flexible in your negotiations. Do not be stubborn and expect to have it all your own way. The person with the most flexibility will have the most influence during the negotiation process. If you are not getting the outcome you desire, then make the necessary changes until you reach an outcome that works for you and the prospect.
Learning to use effective negotiation skills will help you to accomplish more sales. When negotiating ensure that you know what you are selling, skillfully listen, find areas of agreement, keep your emotions under control and remain flexible. If you apply the above, you will be negotiating your way to sales success in no time!
If you would like my help to improve your negotiation skills contact me Gary Morgan on 020 8337 5937 or gary@garymorgan.coach