Negotiation is not Selling
Sales organisations typically focus their training on consultative selling, building value, challenging existing practice, political strategies, stakeholder mapping and many other areas of valuable content, all of which can be described as forms of persuasion.
But what about when persuasion is not enough? When you need to push back on unrealistic expectations, hold firm on a price or stop giving value away for free?
Your chosen sales methodology is unlikely to cover the required skill - negotiation - in any detail. Negotiation often necessitates tension, conflict and the need to manage strong emotions in both ourselves and our customers.
It is a rare sales professional - trained to persuade, to please and to meet the needs of their customer - who can excel in these situations without the right training and support.
We find this blind spot particularly evident in clients who have invested in Challenger, SPIN or Miller-Heiman programs; all useful tools that operate far more effectively once the salesperson knows a few negotiation fundamentals and when to apply them.
Symptoms of a sales team giving away value in negotiation
Prices are in decline with established customers and/or you haven't executed an inflationary increase in many years
You have signed up to, or continue to tolerate, sub-optimal contract T&Cs that hit your bottom line
Your most demanding customers have come to expect more for less
Ask the experts
Our negotiation experts all have lived experience of commercial negotiation, usually as Sales or Procurement Directors with direct responsibility for eight figure contracts.
We not only understand the theory and psychology of why salespeople may not negotiate effectively, but have also "walked the walk" of challenging sales conversations and the pressures that accompany these interactions.
This credibility gives us the power to inspire positive change in your sales organisation.
