I am a firm believer in negotiations being a win-win. Everyone involved should get something out of the deal.
And unless this is your first time to the Sales Pro Blog you’ve probably come across one of my other posts that mention that very same belief.
I recently witnessed the opposite of this mentality. The idea where a customer believes the only “give” they have to concede is that “you’ll get the sale”.
To be honest I don’t want to go into too much detail because I don’t think I have too. This is something I know I’ve done in the past and I’m pretty sure something everyone has done before.
You want your end of the deal to get better without the same happening for the other party.
And there is no denying that this approach will work if you are the one in control during the negotiations. But even if you have the power, this is not an effective negotiation technique to use.
As A Customer
This is the most common time you’ll see this technique being used.
I’ve seen it in every industry and it is a technique I’ve even used myself. There seems to be no escape from it.
You feel that you are doing the sales rep a service by buying their product. Truth be told the opposite is probably true.
Yes they get to keep their sales job. Yes they get closer to their quota. Yes they are closer to Presidents Club.
But they are also filling a void. Whatever void that is that has caused you to talk with them.
Perhaps you’re buying a new car. They are helping you find the one that fits your needs and budget. If you gouge and gouge them on price you are not being a very good negotiator.
If you lead with that sales technique what kind of response will you get the next time you come in to buy?
Will you be that past customer who sales reps look forward to working with again, or will you be the one they shy away from and give to the new employees.
As A Sales Person
As a sales person you can actually do this as well. There are times where the customer needs your product so much that you can gouge them on price or terms because you are the one in control.
Unfortunately this does not create trust for which I am a big fan of in the sales process. Trust is where relationships come from. And relationships are were referral and repeat buyers come from.
As I’ve mentioned before, an important part of sales is trust. Without it you are making a transaction, not a relationship.
Using “you’ll get the sale” as a negotiation tactic is not the way to build a healthy relationship. It builds resentment because one side has probably “lost”.
Don’t do this the next time you find yourself in a heated negotiation. Focus on what you want out of the talks and what you are willing to part with. As the saying goes, one mans trash is another mans treasure. If there are terms you’re willing to part with, give them up. Perhaps the other party wants that idea more than what they’re willing to give.
~ Johnny Bravo
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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