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The sales negotiation process can seem like a miserable chore when the parties involved resort to underhanded tactics and sneaky methods to get what they want. But one of the most important aspects of effective negotiation is that everyone leaves satisfied, not feeling like they’ve been swindled out of a good deal. To prevent this cheated feeling, you need to follow a strategy for your negotiations.

No matter what you’re selling, or to whom, you need a reliable negotiation strategy that enables both parties to succeed in the deal. Think of your strategy as your master plan, or systematic approach. Since any strategy is only as strong as the techniques and tactics you use, think of tactics as the tools for implementing your negotiation strategy.

Without a solid strategy in place and the right tools for the job, you are likely to succumb to ineffective negotiation tactics and may end up losing sales or not getting the best outcome for you and your company. Use the following five strategies to negotiate effectively.

1. Always be Prepared

You wouldn’t jump out of an airplane without a parachute, and you wouldn’t climb a mountain without prior preparation, so why should negotiating be any different? All effective negotiations start before you actually sit down at the bargaining table. So don’t jump in without any research or planning. Take time to consider your counterpart’s situation. Ask yourself what they need from the deal, and know what you can and cannot compromise.

Negotiations for a year-long service contract will obviously require more preparation than for a one-time purchase of a product. But regardless, use preparation to gain a comprehensive view of the situation. Preparation and planned alternatives will help you stay relaxed through the negotiation. And remember that the more you know about the deal in question, the easier it will be to arrange the best solution for everyone involved.

2. Set Objective Negotiating Standards

If you want to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, everyone has to play the negotiation game by the same set of rules. Objective negotiating standards are like a set of rules established before the process starts. Many times, these standards are set by the organization, or by a government law. For example, most banks won’t grant a loan to someone buying a home until that house has been inspected and declared structurally sound. This rule is a standard that must be met before the bartering can even begin.

In most cases, you can set your own rules. For example, if you’re negotiating a carpet cleaning service contract, you may approach your client with the competitor’s price and what the client currently pays for regular cleanings as some standards for the process. By setting guidelines prior to the negotiation, you ensure that everyone operates under the same standards and everything runs smoothly.

3. Work With, Not Against, the Other Party

Good negotiations mean all parties leave the table feeling good about the agreement and about each other. In order for this to occur, everyone involved must strive for mutually beneficial solutions. When you approach the situation with this attitude of mutual satisfaction, the other party will usually disarm. Most people only get defensive when they feel like you’re out to swindle them. But if the other party knows you want to play fair, they try to play fair as well.

However, you may come across some people who don’t agree with the concept of fair play. Unfortunately, some people, regardless of how you approach negotiations, won’t play by the same high standards. No matter what you do, these individuals are prepared for battle and may bring out the heavy artillery, such as intimidation and manipulation. But you can’t stoop to their level, no matter how tempted you may be. Keep the possibility of an unfair counterpart in mind, but don’t abandon your strategy for fair play.

4. Finalize All Agreements

Keep in mind that the point of negotiation is to arrange the best deal for everyone, so ask plenty of questions. Don’t let important details slip through, and perhaps more important, listen to the client’s responses and concerns. If they are worried about customer service, or the contract length, or routine repairs on the product, then address these issues with care. When the terms are settled, make sure everyone’s perceptions match, and recap all the important details.

Depending on the impact of the deal, you may decide to put the terms in writing, such as a sales contract or agreement. Keep a copy for your records, and give the other party a copy as well. Then if any questions arise, you’ll both have a copy of the answers. And don’t sign off until both parties understand all the key points. Don’t leave any details hanging, and make sure everyone agrees to all the terms and knows what is expected.

5. Follow Through

Once you’ve negotiated the sale, developed mutually beneficial solutions, and signed the agreements, you must follow through on your part. This means you do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, and in the manner you said it would be done. For example, if you said you’d deliver a product or service on a certain day, then make sure it’s there. If for some reason you can’t follow through as expected, make sure you contact the other party and discuss alternative arrangements.

Also, make sure the other people involved in the agreement follow through as well. Unfortunately, at some time in your sales career, you’ll inevitably run into some people who blow off agreements. In this case, you must protect yourself. But as a general rule, for everything you give, you must expect to get something in return.

Negotiating Conclusions

Negotiation is a process of give-and-take for everyone involved. When you follow a strategy, you can focus on finding solutions, rather than winning a position. Preparation gives you a comprehensive view of the situation, and standards serve as guidelines for compromise. Remember to work with, not against, your counterpart, and then finalize all the details you’ve agreed upon. Most important, once you’ve completed the negotiation process, keep your word and follow through with the deal.

As a salesperson, you naturally want your customer to be satisfied, but you also need to benefit from your hard work. When you use these strategies every time you negotiate a sale, both parties will come away pleased, and you’ll win more clients in the process.

Biography

It’s hard to believe that speaking before an audience is more frightful than dying, but reports indicate people consistently rank public speaking as their #1 fear.

One reason presenting in public is frightening is that we feel exposed on a platform in front of a crowd. We worry that we’ll do something stupid to embarrass ourselves or to sabotage our careers. After all, we’ve seen other people stand before a crowd and do stupid things.

Fortunately, we can learn from the mistakes of others, and we can avoid them. This article describes mistakes I’ve seen people make to sabotage their own success. I share these examples with you so you don’t make the same mistakes. You can set your fear aside today!

Make Negative Jokes about Your Competence

A consultant was asked to address a group for a potential client. The consultant had 30 minutes to say something useful and make an impression in order to be asked back for a fee. Following the introduction, audience members clapped.

The speaker responded to the applause with this statement, “It’s nice to receive applause before you start a presentation-because you never know what will happen afterwards.” Good grief, what was he thinking?!

Audience members form an opinion of a speaker in the first seconds of a presentation. This speaker used those precious first seconds to say he might lose control of the speech. Who would want to listen to him, let alone hire him?!

Self-deprecating humor is fine, and sometimes it’s desirable-but NOT as you introduce your speech and NOT about your competence. As you begin a speech, strive to grab the audience’s attention, establish a connection with them, and show you are qualified to address the topic.

Tell the Entire Story-Except How It Applies to the Audience

An accomplished physician and medical researcher told me about a presentation she had recently made. “I gave too much background and had to rush when explaining the clinical implications.” “Who was the audience?” I asked. The answer: “It was a conference for clinicians.”

It’s natural for a researcher, sales person or executive to structure a presentation chronologically. It’s natural to expect the background information to lend weight to the finale-the conclusion or recommendation. It’s natural, that is, if you’re thinking from a speaker’s perspective.

From an audience member’s perspective, this “natural” approach can be a boring put-off. Chances are you’ve had the experience-as an audience member-of feeling your eyes glaze over when a presenter droned on about background or technical details that were entirely irrelevant to you.

Audience members come for the finale. They are interested in background details only to the point that the details clarify or support the recommendation or results. Limit background to information audience members must know to understand how the material applies to them.

Start with the finale-even give the punch line-and you’ll grab the audience’s attention and provide a framework to put the details that follow into perspective. Provide a web link for those interested in more detail.

Try to Cram Two Pounds of Material into a One-Pound Time Slot

When you try to cram 60 minutes of material in a 20 minute time slot, you’ve made a stupid mistake. In presentations, a simple equation applies: less content equals more power.
This is not to say that the quality of your content doesn’t count or that superficial equals successful. It does mean the following:

*Audience members are more likely to retain one well-developed point than five points that you rush through.

*Rush speed is exhausting for the speaker and overwhelming for the audience. When you deliver an appropriate amount of material for your time slot, you’ll have time for dramatic pauses and other delivery techniques that increase audience interest and retention.

*When you try to cram 60 minutes into a 20 minute time slot, it often means you haven’t done your homework. You haven’t thought about what your audience needs to hear as opposed to what you’d like to say. Cramming is a mistake of the lazy speaker-don’t do it!

A loving relationship is great, but you have to remember to keep the excitement alive in the bedroom. Today there are all kinds of ideas on how to spice up your love life and keep It interesting. Communicating with your true intention is the best.

Showing your true intention lets your lady know she is special to you and show’s how much you love her. So what makes a fun gift during the Holiday seasons? This can be a tough and confusing question to answer. You’re hoping she will love whatever you decide to get her. To show how important she is to you and get her a great gift I suggest you make a night out of it.

First do some investigating to see what she has been reading about and shopping for. Go ahead and ask simple questions to find out what has been sparking her latest curiosity. Ask in a way that is just normal every day conversation to make sure she is surprised with your gift and amazed at your listening skills. A fun night out is a great start. Look for a romantic restaurant she has been dying to try. Women love to be treated to a nice, elegant dinner. Always make sure you have a chocolate dessert, it sets the mood for the rest of the evening.

When you finally get home, have the bedroom set up for the romantic evening with candles, champagne and some great music. Present her with her gifts and let the mood lead the way. She will be relaxed, loving and ready for a romantic evening. Happy Holidays!