Tag Archives: negotiate

Leave Room to Negotiate?

Imagine I offer to sell you a horse for $10,000. You offer me $7,000 and I quickly say, “Deal!”

You’re thinking, “Wow, if he knocked $3,000 off with no questions, he must have been gouging me.” And “I wonder how much less I could have bought the horse for”?

I questioned a radio salesperson about the pricing of a proposal he was about to make last week, and he said he “Built in enough to negotiate.” Upon further questioning, I discovered he was prepared to lower the price, just to get the deal, without the buyer having to give something in return.

Are you a horse trader or a professional? Do you expect to dicker with professionals like your lawyer or your accountant, or do you trust and accept their fees at face value?

A radio marketing professional will never falsely inflate their proposal in order to be able to “deal.”

ENS Media’s training helps media executives understand what we call ‘Negotiation 101’… never give one without getting one.

If you know you are about to present to a buyer who expects to ‘negotiate’, you need to plan accordingly. You need to build things into your proposal that you can give up without hurting the campaign, in return for lowering the price.

Perhaps you broaden the rotation in return for a lower investment, ask for payment up front, or ask for a longer commitment in return for a lower spot rate, but NEVER, just drop your rate just to get the deal without asking for a concession from the buyer in return.

To offer concessions without getting concessions in return will quickly damage your brand as a professional and rebrand you as a horse trader.

Your Client Has Said ‘No’, Now What? Part 2 of 3

10 steps to take after your prospect says ‘no’. 

            In last week’s ENS on Sales, we said you would probably rather endure a root canal than hear your prospect say, “We like your presentation but……”

But understanding why a prospect says no is one of the most valuable steps towards yes in your entire sales process.

In this issue, we’ll explore the first five of the 10 Things You Can Do After Your Client Says No, not counting taking hostages until they say yes.

 

Step 1:  Never Take No Personally. Structure your presentation so that ‘no means no’ to this particular presentation ,this idea or at this time… not no to you personally.

I’ve always felt that if the client says no, they are the loser not me, because I’m simply offering to solve their problems.

Never let your tone or body language convey disappointment after no.

Change your posture and demeanor to one of curiosity and sincere interest.

 

Step 2:   Take Responsibility for the No.

Generally, when you get a no, it means you missed a no earlier in the process. After no, you need to retrace your steps to find the no you missed along the way.

Take responsibility for the no with questions like;
Did I misunderstand your goals?
or….

Can you help me understand why my proposal isn’t appropriate at this time?
Perhaps you misread the prospect’s goals or budget?
Did you establish rapport? Did you build your brand and credibility before making the presentation?
Did you relate to the buyers style?

or…
Has something changed since you conducted your initial CAN (customer needs analysis)?

Never argue and never try to prove the prospect is wrong.  Always ask questions to discover where you missed the mark.

To take responsibility for no, you must understand the root cause of ALL nos.

Your prospect did not agree to sit still for your presentation because they had no interest. Assuming you are talking to the real decision maker, no really means, “You have not convinced me that I will get a return on my investment”.

What would you guess is the number one reason advertisers advertise?

Our survey, of 540 locally owned and operated businesses, revealed that the number one reason businesses advertise is to increase sales. The root cause of no is always that you have not convinced your prospect that you will increase their sales.

So the ‘no budget’ excuse, or any other excuse for no is always a cover for the real reason. You have not convinced the prospect that you have the best solution to increasing sales.

Business owners are entrepreneurs by nature and seek to minimize the risk in every investment. Entrepreneurs will sell their car or borrow from their mother if your presentation convinced them their investment will pay off.

A no can only be turned into a yes when your prospect wants to achieve the goals you have identified and when they believe your solution is cost effective.

You made your proposal because you believed it was good for the prospect, and now you need to take responsibility to learn why it missed the mark so you can make a better presentation the next time.

 

        Step 3: Be Prepared to Negotiate.

Some buyers say ‘no’ as a negotiation tactic to capture a better deal.

Always build enough into your presentation to leave room to maneuver.
Never offer so much value-added or other perks in your initial presentation, that you have no room to sweeten the pie.

Again, ask questions to determine if this is a negotiation tactic. Questions like; What would we have to do to make our proposal work for you?

Be prepared to practice our ‘Negotiation One-O-One’…never give one without getting one.
If your prospect asks for a lower rate, you can’t concede without changing the rotation, asking for a longer commitment, or some other concession.

 

        Step 4:  After no, Always Leave the Door Open. If you have not been able to turn the no into a yes, get agreement on next steps, again through questioning.

Questions like: Now that I have a better understanding of your situation, may I make an appointment to do another presentation that addresses your concerns and achieves your objectives?

Always try to get agreement on a specific time table for next steps.

 

        Step 5:  If the no is a veiled no, like, “I have to think about it” or “I have to talk to my partner or accountant”, ask questions to remove the veil.

Questions like: What is it in our proposal that requires more thought?

or
May I have the opportunity to meet with you and your partner to explore this further?

 

In our next blog, we’ll address the rest of our 10 things to do after your prospect says no.

 

ENSMedia Inc. 705-484-9993