I was running a small business session recently and we were talking about all the best lessons we have learnt in business. Naturally, sales lessons came up and one particular attendee said they learnt from a sales training session that if you ask you customer a question and there’s a pregnant pause – the first person to speak loses. Well, possibly the first time in my facilitation career I blatantly said “well I disagree” (maybe I should do this more often) … I do agree about listening for the answer but I don’t agree about anyone losing. When it comes to customers it should always be WIN/WIN and thinking your customer or someone loses in a negotiation is not what I believe a salesperson should be thinking.
It has been a very long time since I have heard the term WIN/WIN and for this me this is truly the essence of integrity selling. Everyone should win! A great negotiator listens, speaks and listens again. Manipulation selling does really ‘erk’ me and whilst I have been sucked into such terrible techniques in my younger sales career; I still remember (and resent!) the sales manipulators who have dooped me through dirty sales tricks that got them the sale. Yet down the track – yip, you guessed it – I was the loser!
Tool box selling and inauthentic sales tricks really don’t spin my wheels. And hey, this is coming from someone who has come from a ‘sales family’ of seasoned car salesman/women.
Our online world is so connected that you are going to get caught out if you play those dirty sales tricks. People can google stuff and other people to find out the truth about what you may have thought was a coup …when you slide your client across the sales line with your manipulation techniques.
Please don’t get me wrong, I agree that when you ask your client a question – yes, definitely pause and give them chance to answer. But I am not a fan of people saying – “whoever answers first – loses!’ To me, that’s a bad attitude towards your client and if you see them as someone to win and they lose – not cool by me my friend!
So there you have it, my 2 cents worth on should anyone lose in a negotiation? No they shouldn’t and we shouldn’t be thinking they should.
They should WIN just as much as you the ‘product/service provider” should WIN too! …and I will leave that topic of “Suppliers should WIN too!” for my next blog.
And remember, negotiation is about two parties working together to achieve a beneficial outcome for both sides. This is how the term WIN/WIN came about. When we have absolute conviction that we understand what our client needs and we present them with an offer that fills that need and their budget, there shouldn’t be any reason why they wouldn’t go ahead. It is as simple as that. If you find yourself loosing sales then it is important to reflect on what may have gone array in your communications with your client and was there a misunderstanding along the way. It is easily done and can just as easily be rectified if you go back to them openly and honestly.
Have a cool sales fairness day! And remember… what you think about most will grow… are you growing positive sales thoughts or are you growing negative sales thoughts. Both will produce a crop … one will be toxic and draining … the other will multiply your sales results.
Choose this day to be positive! You will never regret it!
Regards
Zita