How to Keep Better Control of Your Sales Negotiation

There is little worse as a sales negotiator than losing control of the negotiation process and being squeezed by the customer into a deal that is unbalanced in their favor. A successful sales negotiation should satisfy both parties.  

When price becomes the critical issue and you feel powerless to shift the client’s thinking, the deal is already going down the tubes. Part of the way to keep control is to plan ahead and foresee any potential problems that might arise. Negotiating is an art…it requires finesse, excellent communication skills, confidence in the solution you provide, and deep knowledge of your customer’s situation, priorities and alternatives.

Short of taking a quality sales negotiation training program, try following these three tips for success:

1. Plan ahead
Outline the specific steps you will take to come to closure. This should include the contacts you will need to convince that your solution makes sense, a timeline that works for both you and the client, and a budget that takes into account the client’s ability to pay and what you need to make the deal worthwhile. From your first interaction to the last, this sales negotiation roadmap will help you guide the customer through a well-considered route to a win-win agreement.

2. Focus on value, not price
If you have done your homework, you know what inaction could cost the customer. Make sure this is clearly known on both sides. The cost of your service should become far less important than the agreed-upon value of solving the problem that faces them compared to the other available alternatives. 

3. Stay in the driver’s seat
There is a fine line between being assertive and being aggressive. As you drive toward closing the deal in a way that makes sense, you will need to identify what really matters most to the client, their boss and their organization. Would a guarantee of results make a difference? Are they in a hurry to implement your solution? Might they be more ready to sign if they were able to test out your solution? All of these tactics—guarantees, speed of delivery, preview—are yours to explore and bring to bear. Use them as ways to add value without lowering the price.

For more information, please visit: http://www.lsaglobal.com/sales-negotiation-training/