“Will be dragged ashore and stunned with a stick”, or How to conclude a contract on their own terms
Denis Sidenko, business consultant, coach, talks about the art of negotiation, tactics, rules and techniques that will help the seller not to surrender under the pressure of the buyer; explains what is most important in negotiations, what is their basis and how to prepare for them with a specific example from personal work practice
Once at a negotiation training, a woman approached me and asked: “We produce cakes. Recently signed a contract with the network. They stayed with us at a discount of 44% with a minimum of 46%. I’m thinking: did we win the negotiations or lost? ”
This is a common question. People are often confident that a deal is a victory in negotiations. In fact, the victory is your deal conditions.
There are many approaches to negotiating. But it is important to understand the principles. This gives awareness both in preparation and in negotiation. Otherwise, you will not notice how to swallow the bait, you will be dragged ashore, where you will not be defenseless, and then you will be stunned by a stick (perhaps in the form of a pen to sign the contract) and thrown into the cage to the same.
What is the most important thing in the negotiations?
Not. Not even preparation for negotiations. And what was before them – the primary stages of sales. Nothing spoils the negotiations as a pre-dropped price. That he will be the object of attack.
What can be given before the negotiations?
All UTP companies and products;
All the variables of bargaining in comparative presentation (the best quality on the market, first place in terms of delivery, advanced quality standard);
Plug prices for end users. It is possible according to dealers. It is possible for the annual period (with an indication of seasonality and improvement of technology);
Comparison of sales of your products with products of competitors;
Passionate hints at the special conditions of the results of the negotiations.
Your initial proposal should be formulated as a Octopus, where each tentacle is looking for a “point of need” for the client. And negotiations are an indicator that one of the tentacles hit the target. Otherwise, negotiations will begin remotely. “The manager first wants to see the price. The manager said it was pointless to meet at such prices. ”
The basis of the negotiations
If you have assigned talks and if you don’t exactly confuse them with the first acquaintance and presentation, they want to agree with you. Is it logical
And how not to mix? After all, sometimes the first meeting happens in negotiations at the same time – and without a presentation in any way. Very simple – the goal! When you schedule a meeting, you need to accurately discuss the purpose and agenda of the meeting. If both parties accurately understand that the outcome of the meeting will be a decision on the transaction, it means there will be negotiations.
And, understanding the basis, you can remove the trembling from your knees and start thinking. Yes, they want to make a deal with you. The proposal put pressure on the “point of need.” And now the task of the negotiator to find it. And neutralize!
Training
Preparation has many stages and varies depending on the type of negotiation, chosen strategy, positioning, client company and the situation in your company and in the market.
But there are two key issues to prepare:
What do we know about the client company and the negotiator?
What do they know about us?
Moreover, the second question is more important. But it is not so complicated. Knowing the answer to it, you will understand the pattern of negotiation moves and attacks of your counterparty. And in most cases, they see in you “one of them.” And they will act stereotypically. Your task is to understand the stereotype of companies in your segment. Do you know your competitors? We must understand how they behave in the negotiations. Do not know exactly? Guess it! Model the behavior of an active but not very prepared negotiator from competitors.
Imagine what bait and hooks he swallows and how he is “pulled ashore”.
What is the “Shore” that I have repeatedly mentioned? This is a set of rules and role models that one negotiator imposes on another in the negotiation process. In other words, the logic of behavior that each experienced negotiator is trying to “sell” to another. If he does not do this, he will himself be dragged out onto the “shore”, where he cannot do anything.
