| I just love Ferris wheels. They are generally huge, | | | | you can use to make sure that the negotiations |
| have the ability to take you way up into the sky | | | | continue even when you have a fixed hub. |
| and then always bring you safely back down to | | | | Although this may seem obvious, during the heat |
| earth. If you've ever taken the time to look at | | | | of a negotiation it's not - you don't focus on the |
| how a Ferris wheel is built, then you already know | | | | hub, you spend your time talking about the |
| about one of the key negotiating techniques that | | | | gondolas. There are a lot of different ways to do |
| top sales negotiators use when they need to | | | | this: the number of gondolas and just exactly |
| defend a price... | | | | what is in them is completely up to you. |
| How Ferris Wheels Are Like Sales Negotiating | | | | Don't get me wrong: neither you nor the other |
| Many sales negotiations get hung up and fall apart | | | | side is going to forget that this is all being held |
| when the discussion finally gets around to the | | | | together by an immovable hub. However, as the |
| issue of price. The reason for this is pretty simple: | | | | number of gondolas increases and their contents |
| one side of the table wants a lower price and the | | | | become more desirable, the hub will cease to |
| other side either doesn't want to or can't lower it. | | | | become as much of a significant issue. |
| End of discussion - both sides shake hands and | | | | What All Of This Means For You |
| walk away. | | | | A sales negotiation that falls apart because of |
| It turns out that things don't have to end this | | | | price is a tragedy that didn't need to happen. Yes, |
| way. The "pivot technique" is one way that | | | | price is important to both sides; however, the |
| experienced sales negotiators have found to | | | | total value of the deal is much more important. |
| meet this issue head on and not derail the | | | | The pivot technique is a tool that experienced |
| negotiations. One way to mentally picture the | | | | negotiators use to get around the problem of |
| pivot technique in action is to think of a Ferris | | | | having to negotiate with a price that can't be |
| wheel with a center hub and passenger holding | | | | lowered. By adding additional points to negotiate |
| cars (gondolas) distributed in a circle around the | | | | to the table, we have the ability to build a |
| hub. | | | | complete package to be negotiated and this |
| The Pivot Technique In Action | | | | makes the price only a single component of a |
| Think of the price of your product or service as | | | | much bigger deal. |
| being the hub of a Ferris wheel - it's both fixed | | | | There are no silver bullets in sales negotiations. |
| and unmoving. However, a Ferris wheel with just | | | | However, the pivot technique is a powerful tool |
| a hub is no fun at all. That's why it has gondolas | | | | that can help you avoid having your next sales |
| to carry passengers. In the pivot technique these | | | | negotiation come to an end because you couldn't |
| gondolas represent other negotiating points that | | | | change your price. |