| Hey, did you read any of those Harry Potter | | | | but..." or "no, maybe...". |
| books (or at least see one of the movies?) If | | | | Give Them An Opportunity To Vent |
| you did, then you probably got drawn into the | | | | Just how do you think your response of a "no" is |
| world of magic and wizards that the books are all | | | | going to make the other side of the table feel? |
| about. It sure seems as though in these stories | | | | Sad? Angry? You bet! When they are feeling this |
| that there is a magic portion or a curse to do just | | | | way they are going to want to vent, let off |
| about anything. The stories are fiction but it turns | | | | some steam. If you are wise, you'll go ahead and |
| out that sales negotiators do have some real | | | | let them do this. |
| magic that they can use to get what they want | | | | The reasoning behind this strategy is subtle, but |
| during a negotiation. | | | | complex. By allowing the other side to go on a |
| The Power Of The Word "No" | | | | rant, you are deliberately not restricting their |
| For some odd reason in Western cultures there | | | | actions. If you tried to do this they just might go |
| seems to be a social stigma associated with | | | | postal and storm out of the negotiations. By |
| saying the word "no" to someone - even when | | | | allowing them to do some yelling, you are |
| we're in the middle of a sales negotiation. If you | | | | providing them with a safe way to work through |
| want to be successful, you're going to have to | | | | their frustrations. |
| learn to get over this hang up. | | | | Another point that you should keep in mind is that |
| I'm not talking about just saying "no" and then | | | | when the other side is venting, they may actually |
| turning your back to the other side of the table. | | | | be showing off for the rest of their team. |
| Instead, I'm going to suggest a two-part "no" | | | | Remember that when the sales negotiations are |
| strategy. The first part, naturally, consists of you | | | | done, they are going to have to report to their |
| saying "no". The second part is where you take | | | | bosses who will ask if they did everything that |
| the time to explain to the other side of the table | | | | they could in order to get the best deal possible. |
| WHY you said no. The goal here is to explain your | | | | Reports of their tirade may serve to convince |
| reasoning in a clear and logical fashion. | | | | their internal audience that they did a good job. |
| One of the reasons that so many of us really | | | | What All Of This Means For You |
| dislike saying (or sticking with ) a "no" is because | | | | Forget the magic that Harry Potter is able to call |
| we think that it's going to make the other side of | | | | upon, today's sales negotiators need to find some |
| the table feel bad. What's interesting about this is | | | | practical magic. The good news is that there |
| that more often than not, we're wrong about this. | | | | seems to be plenty of it around for us to use. |
| Getting a "no" from us might be exactly what the | | | | The simple word "no" can be the one word that |
| other side of the table wants. It closes the door | | | | allows you to get what you want during your |
| on this part of the negotiation and so they can | | | | next sales negotiation. You just need to find the |
| move on to the next part. If asked by their | | | | courage to say it and stick with it. Once you've |
| bosses, they can at least say that they asked | | | | said it, you'll need to give the other side of the |
| and we said "no". | | | | table a chance to work out their frustration. If |
| In the world of negotiating, just about everyone | | | | you can do both of these things, then you'll be |
| agrees that the Japanese are the best at saying | | | | that much closer to striking a good deal during |
| "no". They have a way of saying it in such a way | | | | your next negotiation. Who can say "no" to that? |
| that you don't feel bad when you hear it: "yes, | | | | |