Want to be a Better Negotiator? Learn to be a Strong Seller First.

Sales people ask me all the time "how can I become a great negotiator" and close larger deals? What they don't realize is to become a great negotiator first you must be a great seller. Many also believe a "negotiation" begins at the end of the sale cycle, which could not be more incorrect and counterproductive.

In the past twenty five years I have negotiated thousands of transactions and learned a lot along the way. Some lessons from losses and some from wins. The opportunity to learn is always there. Based on my "real world masters in negotiation training" here is what I believe and teach.

First, you must start with a vision. My vision for a successful negotiation is grounded in the desire to become my customer's "trusted advisor" and build a long term strategic relationship. Understanding this vision underpins that a successful negotiation has a few characteristics:

• Both parties need to feel like they won (and not at the expense of the other)

• The seller closes the deal on his/her price and terms (which is good for the buyer too)

• The negotiation moves the relationship closer to "Trusted Advisor" status
  

In addition to having a strong vision one must have a set of guiding principles that ground that vision and pilot your selling and negotiating conversations and activities. Here is a subset of my guiding principles when it comes to negotiation:

• Successfully negotiating your price and terms depends on your conviction and skill

• Great negotiators are first and foremost great sellers (mentioned again b/c important)

• Style is more important than substance

• Great negotiators have a plan and practice

• Great negotiators never provide unilateral concessions
  

So now you have your vision and your set of guiding principles. What is next? That would be mastering conversational negotiating skills, objection handling, and tactics that move the negotiation towards an outcome (deal or no deal). If interested in learning the "how" I would love to chat so please reach out. A slight uptick in your negotiating skills can have a dramatic impact on your quota performance.