One of the things that makes Michael Reddington’s skin crawl is the phrase “buyers are liars.” He emphasizes that it’s not true, not any more than anyone else. Everyone has goals and will strategically share information that’s likely to help them achieve those goals. That’s not dishonesty; it’s interest protection. Prior to any interaction where you need information, you have to think about the reasons why your counterparty shouldn’t share the information with you. Michael…
Assembling the Dream Team: A Team-Based Approach to Sales
Many people approach sales as if they are going to be working as a “lone wolf” the entire time. But David Perry prefers to assemble a dream team. What does that mean? David had just closed a large deal and felt really good about himself. But then he listed out everyone that had been involved in the deal. There were over 60 people involved! There are so many people involved on both sides of a…
Why “Rationale” Questions are Key in the Negotiation Process
According to Deb Calvert, the purpose of a rationale question is to understand the decision that has been made and what has gotten you to the point you’re at in a negotiation. You need to know what the criteria will be for the ultimate decision. If you can get some of this information and insight beforehand, it’s helpful. These are definitely great questions in the midst of the negotiation as well. What will be your criteria?…
Want to Stand Out As a Salesperson? Here’s How
If you want to differentiate yourself from the competition as a salesperson, what do you do? How do you make your product or service stand out? Tom Williams argues that you need to start by understanding where you fit in the process. How is your procurement counterpart looking at the sale? Take a look at the Kraljic matrix. The Kraljic matrix The Kraljic Matrix is a four-quadrant matrix that plots financial results versus supply risk….
The Roles of Happiness vs. Pleasure in a Negotiation
People, ultimately, want to be happy, i.e., experience the feeling of well-being. But happiness is relative. It’s based on what people value. What makes them happy might be meaningless to you. As human beings, we have a limited amount of time, money, energy, and resources. Because of this, we must constantly make choices, often unconsciously. Every decision someone makes is based on whether they believe it will bring them closer to happiness as they understand it. Moving…