🔊 Listen to this

Here you have to do your core work. Gather all the pieces you’ve been collecting so far to build up your proposal in such a way that it can be competitive enough and bring the best returns to your company. Have in mind the items below to prepare your offer:

How important is the customer?

The Negotiation steps Bear in mind that in almost any negotiation, there are certain steps you will go through. Do you have to go through all of them? Not necessarily. Depending on the negotiation and your relationship with the customer some steps can be avoided (on purpose or simply not needed). Do you have to go through it in sequential mode as presented below? No. Also here, there can be a shift between one step or another. What’s important is that the final step is the final step. Once you get there, don’t go back and forth. If you do that, it means bargaining or proposals weren’t properly done and closed. Remember, buyers are experts and are pushing you out of your order to disturb you. They will push you from the beginning, “But what’s your price?” Don’t go into pricing or offers until you feel you have covered all parameters and info needed to do so. You can never tell a price when you don’t know all the premises, all the requirements, all the conditions (and I underline it once more), very often only after knowing your price customers will tell you, “Ah but I also want this and that.” or “I thought that was including X feature.”



Preparation, Discussion, Proposals, Bargaining, Deals

Preparation Business, people, interests, options, criteria

Discussion Develop trust, don’t assume, ask, listen, encourage them to ask, be clear, no proposals yet

Proposals If…then. Fill it as much as possible on the best and worst case scenario, before you come up with your proposal

Bargaining Keep your concessions, rank them in terms of value in the customer’s eyes, start with the one he perceives as the most valuable. One at a time, no rush.

Agreement Have it clear, and have it closed. Don’t allow grey zones or the chance to get cold feet. Clearly show what your offer covers.



Don’t forget this key point:

As stated in the Buyer chapter, it’s in the purchaser’s DNA to object, delay, make you feel uncomfortable and power play during the negotiation.

If they object – and they will – it’s extremely important that you ask as many details as possible to any objection, so you can cover it with a solution or a concession but don’t allow the customer to divert and come back with another objection later on. Asking them very clearly what, how, who, when, why Keeps them away to close the deal today.

Things to have in mind embracing a sales career- The offer:

Yours and the customer’s strategic intent

What kind of buyer/purchasing are your dealing with?

What’s your best alternative?

Follow the negotiation steps

Don’t rush offering a price too early

What pricing structure to use?

Keep the concessions in your pocket, have them ranked per customer perception. Start with the more important ones. Use only one at the time and try to stick there.

Ask for help if you feel lost or confused, it’s not a sign of weakness but of responsibility and courage. Would it be better to lose the deal?

This is an excerpt of my book “sales is my passion”, available here: http://amzn.to/2DY7nVy