dialogue, you’ll miss sales you could have made.
This morning I went to a high-end auto detailing company with the intention of getting a full detail on my car. I was ready to spend up to $185. We ended up about $15 apart on the quote and I ultimately left to go to a place where I paid only $50 – but got a lot less value in return. Why didn’t I confirm the first offer? Because the salesman wasn’t skilled at selling. He had a second service package available that would have met my immediate needs and it was almost $60 less than his first offer, but he never mentioned it. (I discovered it in his brochure after I left.) So he lost the sale and my future business, too. The better we are at selling, the more sales we will keep – plus, we’ll get their future business and referrals when we do the job well. Look at your typical sales cycle and examine how each part could be enhanced just a bit. While each part may be small, the collective improvement will pay off power-
SELLING TIP Six Win-Win Negotiation Tips
The objective of a negotiation is not to put one over on the buyer. Nor is it to give away the store. Ideally, the end result of a negotiation is a lasting agreement that benefits all parties. Use these six tips to build stronger customer relationships when negotiating with prospects. 1. Patience. Most salespeople have the word “hun- gry” tattooed on their foreheads. That’s why prospects have learned that a little foot-dragging can yield a lot of give. Salespeople trained to close early and often can quickly go into a tailspin when they meet prospects who are willing to hold out for a better deal. Even if you sense a stall, be patient.
2. Questions. Use questions to establish your pros- pect’s needs, clarify issues, and consider new al- ternatives. Effective questions channel thoughts, guide discussions, and lead to greater under- standing. Avoid questions that create anxiety, e.g., “How can anyone say we don’t have a good product?” Focus on customer problem areas
where you feel you offer unique solutions.
3. Listening. Listen carefully. Evaluate the prospect’s statement before responding. Avoid interruptions or contradictions. Remember that everything is up for discussion, and needs tend to evolve over time. An open attitude will help you discover new strategies and tactics that can help move the deal forward.
4. Clarity. Complex language builds a barrier be- tween you and your prospect, so communicate clearly. Avoid using technical terms and clichés. Your role is to clarify, not obstruct.
5. Neutrality. Avoid value judgments. Use neutral, descriptive terms. Don’t assume the role of the teacher who indoctrinates. Think of yourself as an explorer who helps the prospect discover and solve a problem.
6. Creativity. Develop creative alternatives when price becomes a sticking point. For example, offer group prices, package deals, extended terms, extra ser- vice, or a customized payment plan. Emphasize that these concessions represent real savings and value. – SELLING POWER EDITORS
SELLING POWER MAY 2016 | 15 © 2016 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
fully. Examine how easy it is for new customers to find your business and your contact information. See how you could make the arrival and parking and greeting process better. Practice the first things you say as each person arrives. Rehearse ways to show respect for the customer’s needs.
Things that are noticed and mea-
sured tend to improve. So follow the entire sales and service cycle and look for points of improvement. Especially, make note of how many people you asked to buy today. Who did you ask? What did you say? How’d they respond? Every day. Every employee. Really. Once you report the numbers each day, you’ll start noticing wheth- er it’s too few – or if not enough of them are saying yes. Then you can start to examine how you are asking, who you are asking, when you are asking, what you are asking them to buy, and whether you are making it clear and easy for them to say yes. Even if you don’t make a special
‘‘
I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. – WARREN BUFFETT
project out of them, the things you measure tend to improve. So just keep the numbers – the new and better actions will happen.
Jim Cathcart is a hall of fame profes- sional speaker and the original author of Relationship Selling. See his video lessons daily on
Thrive15.com/acorn.
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