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Sales Training Advice: Obtaining What You Need From Your Sales Meetings Through Efficient Negotiation Skills
In Sales training programmes, negotiation skills are often missed altogether. One might say that the underlying reason most of us feel the need to negotiate with others is so that we can find a way to get what we want. Being human, we all believe that our point of view is important and that everyone else should at least consider seeing things our way. If you had no desires or needs, there would be little reason for you to enter in into negotiations with others.
If sales courses don't always teach influencing skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your propositions?
Believe it or not, there is a science backed up by more than 60 years of research that has evolved our knowledge of the use of persuasion to meet our needs and desires in sales negotiation. The world's foremost expert on the science of persuasion, Dr Robert Cialdini, has identified 6 principles of persuasive communications in his research work:
Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof
Whilst influence will always be an art, it is really helpful to deploy the power of the 6 principles discovered by science to increase your chances of influencing others to give you what you really want.
Let's start by looking at what is believed to be the most important principle from a negotiation point of view - reciprocation.
Reciprocation means that we return to others the form of behaviour that they demonstrate towards us. If you have helped me, then I should do you a favour. If you invite me to your birthday party, then I should invite you to my birthday party. If you make a concession to me, then I should make a concession to you.
So what does this mean to you and how can you employ it to get what you want?
Here's how:
Make sure that when you negotiate you ask for a little more than you would like to receive.
Let's say you are selling a widget and you would like to get $ 100 for the widget.
If you would like to apply the principle of reciprocation, then you should start by asking for a little more - let's say by requesting $ 105.
If your counterparty does not agree to paying you $ 105 for the widget, then you are able to extend a concession by lowering your asking price to $ 100 in exchange for your counterparty also making a concession to you. A concession that your counterparty could make in this case could be to pay you cash on the spot or to pay for shipping etc.
The key is for you to make the concession - don't wait for your counterparty to offer a concession. Just make sure that you use the word 'if' when you offer your concession:
"If you are prepared to hand over the cash right now, then I could reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are willing to be flexible and you will now significantly enhance the likeliness of them also being flexible and offering a concession in return.
Just be sure to use this principle 'in the moment' whilst you are negotiating. If you walked away from a negotiation to review your proposal, your counterparty will be more likely to regard your revised offer as a new proposal, not as a concession.
Your Underdeveloped Commercial Negotiation Skills Ability Could Cause Critical Negotiations To Fail Due To Poor Planning
The main reason to a profitable business negotiation result is the quality of your planning. If you don't plan, prepare to fail and expect to not reach your goals.
Enhance Your Negotiation Skills By Discovering The One Element That Separates The Men From The Boys In The Negotiation Game
Understanding your counterparts interest in your negotiations is one of the most imporant elements to attain and ensure profitable, gratifying and long term business relationships.
Improve Your Negotiation Skills By Applying And Countering Power In Negotiation
By developing options in your negotiation, you are deploying the single most effective way to developing authority for yourself in negotiations.
Sales Education Used For Today's Industry Atmosphere
Sales coaching is a tool of modern day sales and was totally unnecessary in days gone by when people frequented local businesses in their small towns as a matter of course. Because of limited opportunities and means of travel, the local hardware store and grocery were usually the first choice for most people's needs
Using Negotiation Skills During The 5 Stage Program To Attaining Lucrative Deals In China
In order to achieve success in your business negotiations in China, you will have to understand that as an outsider, doing business is completely different than what most people are familiar with.
Best Practice Planning: How Purchasing Training Helps To Find The Key Factor To Unlock A Profitable Negotiation
The amount of time used to plan is the key success factor of business negotiation best practice. Exploring the framework and the deal objectives are some of the most important factors in aid of your negotiation endeavours and decision making processes.
Sales Coaching To Boost Your Sales Team
Whether you are starting your own business or you have a well established firm, increasing clients and sales are the most vital things needed to keep a business growing. To achieve the best business results, you should hire a sales coach.
If sales courses don't always teach influencing skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your propositions?
Believe it or not, there is a science backed up by more than 60 years of research that has evolved our knowledge of the use of persuasion to meet our needs and desires in sales negotiation. The world's foremost expert on the science of persuasion, Dr Robert Cialdini, has identified 6 principles of persuasive communications in his research work:
Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof
Whilst influence will always be an art, it is really helpful to deploy the power of the 6 principles discovered by science to increase your chances of influencing others to give you what you really want.
Let's start by looking at what is believed to be the most important principle from a negotiation point of view - reciprocation.
Reciprocation means that we return to others the form of behaviour that they demonstrate towards us. If you have helped me, then I should do you a favour. If you invite me to your birthday party, then I should invite you to my birthday party. If you make a concession to me, then I should make a concession to you.
So what does this mean to you and how can you employ it to get what you want?
Here's how:
Make sure that when you negotiate you ask for a little more than you would like to receive.
Let's say you are selling a widget and you would like to get $ 100 for the widget.
If you would like to apply the principle of reciprocation, then you should start by asking for a little more - let's say by requesting $ 105.
If your counterparty does not agree to paying you $ 105 for the widget, then you are able to extend a concession by lowering your asking price to $ 100 in exchange for your counterparty also making a concession to you. A concession that your counterparty could make in this case could be to pay you cash on the spot or to pay for shipping etc.
The key is for you to make the concession - don't wait for your counterparty to offer a concession. Just make sure that you use the word 'if' when you offer your concession:
"If you are prepared to hand over the cash right now, then I could reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are willing to be flexible and you will now significantly enhance the likeliness of them also being flexible and offering a concession in return.
Just be sure to use this principle 'in the moment' whilst you are negotiating. If you walked away from a negotiation to review your proposal, your counterparty will be more likely to regard your revised offer as a new proposal, not as a concession.
Your Underdeveloped Commercial Negotiation Skills Ability Could Cause Critical Negotiations To Fail Due To Poor Planning
The main reason to a profitable business negotiation result is the quality of your planning. If you don't plan, prepare to fail and expect to not reach your goals.
Enhance Your Negotiation Skills By Discovering The One Element That Separates The Men From The Boys In The Negotiation Game
Understanding your counterparts interest in your negotiations is one of the most imporant elements to attain and ensure profitable, gratifying and long term business relationships.
Improve Your Negotiation Skills By Applying And Countering Power In Negotiation
By developing options in your negotiation, you are deploying the single most effective way to developing authority for yourself in negotiations.
Sales Education Used For Today's Industry Atmosphere
Sales coaching is a tool of modern day sales and was totally unnecessary in days gone by when people frequented local businesses in their small towns as a matter of course. Because of limited opportunities and means of travel, the local hardware store and grocery were usually the first choice for most people's needs
Using Negotiation Skills During The 5 Stage Program To Attaining Lucrative Deals In China
In order to achieve success in your business negotiations in China, you will have to understand that as an outsider, doing business is completely different than what most people are familiar with.
Best Practice Planning: How Purchasing Training Helps To Find The Key Factor To Unlock A Profitable Negotiation
The amount of time used to plan is the key success factor of business negotiation best practice. Exploring the framework and the deal objectives are some of the most important factors in aid of your negotiation endeavours and decision making processes.
Sales Coaching To Boost Your Sales Team
Whether you are starting your own business or you have a well established firm, increasing clients and sales are the most vital things needed to keep a business growing. To achieve the best business results, you should hire a sales coach.