Sales Negotiations – How to Deal with Competing Goals

Do you feel that your sales negotiations have two competing goals…one to maintain the relationship with your customer and the other to get the deal you want? 

When you are in the midst of a tough sales negotiation, it is tempting to think that you can satisfy only one of those goals and will have to sacrifice the other. It would be a painful (and we maintain) and unnecessary choice to make. Our years of working with clients toward win-win sales negotiations have convinced us that both goals are attainable as long as you have the right approach and attitude.

Here are some sales negotiation tips we cover in our sales negotiations training programs that allow you to protect both the relationship and your business outcome:

• Don’t be in a hurry.Don’t rush the sales negotiations…either at the beginning or during the negotiation process. Research has shown that conversations unrelated to the negotiation can help build bridges that can smooth the path toward agreement. Allow time for introductions and then chat about anything when you first meet—the weather, last night’s sports event, what kind of refreshment you all would prefer during the session, or even how long the talks should take. This rapport building gives you an opportunity to get to know who you’ll be working with…how they communicate and how they act.
  Slow down, too, in the middle of the sales negotiation. Getting “back to the drawing board” and stalling the sales process for a bit shows that you are willing to consider the other side’s point of view and want to do the best you can on your end to respect their wants and needs.
  
• Don’t give in if the going gets tough.Some sales negotiations become very difficult when the two sides are adamant about holding on to what they consider unnegotiable terms. You may be inclined to just cave in order to preserve the relationship. But it is unwise to set this precedent. Be respectful but push back in a professional way. Try to be really creative in looking for common ground and an alternative third solution that satisfies both parties. If you do compromise, make sure that you get something of equal value in return.  If you are unwilling to compromise on price, for example, perhaps you can offer faster delivery or add a guarantee that will appeal to the other side.

Sales negotiations have been compared to a “dance” where both partners do best when they are in sync. If you spend some time relating and then are respectful but firm when challenged, you will leave the dance floor with both your relationship and your business outcome intact.

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