| Effective negotiating is not a substitute for selling | | | | you can allow.) Negotiating is finding a way to |
| skills. Many salespeople believe that they need to | | | | reach a meeting point where you and your |
| be better negotiators, when what they really | | | | prospect can agree with each other's |
| need is improved selling skills. | | | | circumstances and still have a win/win relationship. |
| Let's define selling from my perspective. 1. Selling | | | | I don't know if the negotiating experts would |
| is identifying good prospects (which means that | | | | agree with me, but since this is my Tip, you can |
| have a need and desire for a solution that your | | | | decide for yourself whether my argument makes |
| product or service will give them.) 2. Positioning | | | | sense. |
| your product or service in the mind of the | | | | The close of the sale is the beginning of the client |
| prospect as the best solution for their available | | | | relationship, not the end of something. Negotiating |
| resources. 3. Presenting the aspects (features and | | | | is both parties giving in so that you can have a |
| benefits) of your product or service to the | | | | mutually beneficial working relationship. |
| prospect in a way that they see how these | | | | Selling is about developing and maintaining positive |
| solutions will be achieved. 4. Answering any | | | | ongoing relationships. Negotiating can be a |
| unspoken questions (sales objections) during this | | | | one-time issue that only comes up in the beginning |
| process and asking for the business. (That's called | | | | of a new relationship or when there are new |
| closing, folks.) I just summarized my two-day | | | | ingredients added to the relationship puzzle such |
| sales seminar. | | | | as a new product introduction, new policies on the |
| Let's define negotiating. Negotiating begins where | | | | part of your organization or your client's, or when |
| selling leaves off. It is finding those areas of | | | | a competitor is knocking on your customer's door. |
| difference or compromise in: a. features (what | | | | Both skills - selling and negotiating - are necessary |
| they can live without) b. delivery terms (what | | | | if you are to have any degree of career success |
| they need and what you can give them.) c. | | | | in sales. |
| financial terms (again, what they need and what | | | | Which is more important? You decide. |