Sales Training Advice: Getting What You Need From Your Sales Related Calls Through Efficient Negotiation Skills
In Sales training programmes, negotiation skills are often overlooked. You could say that the underlying reason most of us feel the need to negotiate with others is so that we can find a way to get what we would like. Being human, most of us believe that our viewpoint is very important and that everyone else should at least think about seeing things our way. If you had no desires or needs, there would be little reason for you to negotiate with anyone.
If sales courses don't always teach persuasion skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your propositions?
Believe it or not, there is a science supported by more than 60 years of research that has evolved our understanding of the use of influence to meet our needs and desires in sales negotiation. The world's leading authority on the science of influence, Dr Robert Cialdini, has identified 6 principles of persuasive communications in his investigative efforts:
Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof
Whilst persuasion will always be somewhat of an art, it is incredibly helpful to harness the power of the 6 principles identified by scientific investigation to increase your chances of influencing others to give you what you really want.
Let's start by looking at what is believed to be the key principle from a negotiation viewpoint - 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 need?
Here's how:
Ensure that when you negotiate you ask for a little more than you would be happy to receive.
Let's say you are selling a widget and you need to obtain $ 100 for the widget.
If you want to use the principle of reciprocation, then you should start 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 offer a concession by discounting your 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 offer the concession - don't wait for your counterparty to make a concession. Just make sure that you use the word 'if' when you make your concession:
"If you are prepared to hand over the cash right now, then I could reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are willing to be flexible and you will now significantly enhance 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 walked away from a negotiation to review your proposal, your counterparty will be more likely to regard your amended offer as a new proposal, not as a concession.
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