Ask and You Shall Receive
Did you know that the Ask is a gentler style of negotiation?
Most people fear negotiation. The practice is viewed as strong-arm tactics. However, when implemented appropriately, negotiation becomes an art form of building relationships, understanding of your prospective clients needs, wants and desires, as well as a coming together of both perspectives. The same is true for job seekers who need to negotiate a better salary and benefits than are initially offered.
The usual questions receive either a “yes” or “no” answer. But a more creative style of questioning leads to open dialogue. The latter is the style you would adapt for sales and negotiating an appropriate price. This is true whether you are the seller or the buyer.
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It is wise to practice the asking as the buyer in order to become adept as the seller. The better you understand both perspectives, the more successful you will be.
Additionally, two sales techniques should be implemented behind the Ask or Negotiation. The first technique is, to frame the question as it pertains to the other person’s perspective. The second is to make certain the other party feels as if they gained something from the meeting of the minds.
Today’s example is that of needing to ship a car across country. One company volunteered that if we were to drive the car to their office rather than their making a special trip to pick it up, they would reduce the price to a certain amount.
Note:
- We obviously would be saving them a whole lot of time and money as the distance to their office is substantial. But for us it’s easier because they are located near the airport. Remember, saving the other party time and money works greatly to your favor.
- A typical marketing strategy is to reduce the price just under the next complete dollar amount such as $…98.00
Through a pleasant exchange of email, and out of curiosity “to see what happens”, I asked if they could round it down to the lower even number for us to move forward. The amount was agreed to; the company is getting the business and we enjoyed a nice price reduction. There was nothing tricky or manipulative about the negotiation – just a simple Ask.
When you are willing to practice Asking, you become comfortable and experienced with the act. You will also be more adept at closing more sales and building a long-term clientele. This leads directly to the Smooth Sale!
P.S. Upcoming Events:
1. In need of added help regarding business development and sales? Dial into a free 30 minute Tele-Seminar, with 15 minutes for Q&A, this Wednesday, October 1, 1:00 pm PT / 4:00 p.m. ET. Dial-in: 1-857-232-0157 / Conference code: 929211
2. Thinking of writing a book? Put sales strategies behind it to sell more copies. Learn how with this free tele-seminar hosted by Kimberly Errigo: http://businessmasteryforum.com/teleclass
Read Addtional Strategies and Techniques:
Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results, Sourcebooks
HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews, Career Press
