Sales Training Advice: Getting What You Need From Your Sales Calls By Deploying Efficient Negotiation Techniques
In Sales training programmes, sales negotiation skills are often missed altogether. One might say that the reason most of us feel the need to negotiate with anyone else is so that we can find a way to get what we want. Being human, we all believe that our point of view is very 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 anyone.
If sales courses don't always teach influencing skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your suggestions?
Believe it or not, there is a science supported by more than 60 years of research that has informed our knowledge of the use of influence to satisfy our needs and wants in sales negotiation. The world's foremost expert on the science of persuasion, Dr Robert Cialdini, has uncovered 6 principles of persuasive communication in his investigative efforts:
Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof
Whilst persuasion will always be an art, it is incredibly helpful to use the power of the 6 principles discovered by scientific investigation to increase your chances of persuading others to give you what you really want.
Let's start by looking at what I believe to be the key principle from a negotiation point of view - reciprocation.
Reciprocation means that we return to others the form of behaviour that they exhibit towards us. If you have done me a favour, then I should help you. 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 use it to get what you would like?
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 are planning to get $ 100 for the widget.
If you want to apply the principle of reciprocation, then you should commence by requesting a little more - let's say by asking for $ 105.
If your counterparty does not agree to handing over $ 105 for the widget, then you are able to make a concession by lowering your asking price to $ 100 in return for your counterparty also making a concession to you. A concession that your counterparty could make in this case could be to pay you immediately on the spot or to facilitate 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 pay me in cash right now, then I will reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are prepared to be flexible and you will now significantly increase 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 went 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.
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