Are you craving more power in your negotiations? Sales consultant Dr. Jim Anderson might be able to help. In his article “10 Ways To Quickly Boost Your Power In ANY Negotiation” he provides insight into how you can increase your power points when negotiating, a vital element of the sales process. Negotiating, according to Anderson, is all about power, and if you don’t have control, the sale could easily slip away or you could be at the mercy of a prospect’s demands.
He argues that while many in sales feel that negotiation power is something inherent and can’t be learned, that is not always the case. “…all too often negotiators decide that there is nothing that they can do about it , you either have it or you don’t,” he writes. “…power is something that the great sales negotiators know how to grow and cultivate. There is no one thing that you can do to build up your negotiating power, rather there are a lot of little things that you can do.”
Below are a few of his tips, and the rest can be found here.
1. Set the Stage to Get A “Yes” Answer: This one is pretty simple. If you make the negotiating environment a positive one you are more likely to get the other side to agree to your proposals. This means that you need to provide plenty of food and drink and you need to take the time to get to know the other side on a personal level.
2. Take Many Notes: There is a whole lot of talking going on when you are negotiating and things can get confusing pretty quickly. The great negotiators are always easy to recognize: They are the ones who are taking lots of notes. This is how they can remember who has made what concessions.
3. How You Look Matters: When you are negotiating, you need to dress as though you were at least two, maybe three, levels higher in the company than you really are. The way that you look is the way that the other side of the table will treat you.
4. More Is Better: Never enter a negotiation by yourself. Make sure that there is always someone else on your side of the table. An extra set of ears, eyes, and notes can only help you do better.
Friday, Nov 13, 2009
Jessica Helinski