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Successful Sales Training
The key to successful sales is making
the other side feel good about the deal that has been agreed. This sounds easy,
but as we all know, it is very difficult in reality. For this reason, we have to
apply two main rules as taught on all good
sales training courses.
The first is the give, get rule.
Whenever we give during a sales negotiation we must get something in return.
Typically we are asked to give a discount. Therefore we must consider what we
can ask for in return that will, a) soften the effect to us for giving a
discount, and b) legitimise the reason for doing so to the other side. For
example for agreeing to a discount, we might ask for improved payment terms. If
the customer’s cash flow is good, then we could even ask for up front payment.
Something that maybe of real value to us
but of little or no consequence to the other side might be contract length.
Therefore by asking for an increased contract term will give you a guarantee of
business for a longer period and giving a discount could seem like a fair trade
to both parties.
By legitimising your reason for the
discount you a ensuring that you have not appeared to try to overcharge the
other side in the first place. Therefore you are achieving the second key
principle of sales negotiations of achieving a win, win. This is where both
sides feel they have a good deal.
These two key principles seem easy in
theory, however require a great deal of planning and preparation, especially in
regard to complex negotiations. Never under estimate the preparation undertaken
by a buyer to achieve the best deal possible. For this reason we strongly
recommend that anyone involved in negotiations seek further development and
guidance in this area. Ask successful people that you know, including
colleagues. Read a professional book. Another way is to attend a negotiation
sales training course to develop your skills.
There are also many techniques that
buyers can use to obtain preferential terms. One of the most common is to make
out that they have a preferential offer from a competitor of yours. So how do
you deal with this situation? One technique is to question the buyer about the
offer. The answers will tell you a lot about whether he really does have any
offer from them of not. Even evasion is an answer.
Whilst
we have looked at negotiations in a sales situation, the skills also apply to
many non sales situations such as an internal meeting. For this reason, the
ability to negotiate effectively is considered a life and a career skill.
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