How can you know the customer’s needs if you don’t spend time “selling” to them first? Negotiating should be an option only when the sales process has not been successful.
This builds on the strategy of selling first and negotiating second and now puts some specific criteria on it.
Just because the customer has rejected your price once doesn’t mean you should suddenly start negotiating.
Many times the customer rejected your offer not because of the reason you think, but rather because of a different reason.
Your objective when the customer rejects your offer initially is to find out why and validate if the reason is real. This now gives you the ability to make adjustments to your value proposition and attempt to close the sale again.
Never assume just because the customer has rejected your offer that you need to negotiate. The risk you run is you offer up alternatives the customer will accept, while at the same time not addressing their real concern.
Patience is the rule and, unfortunately, it’s what too many salespeople don’t have.
Taking the time to ascertain the customer’s real needs is going to enable you to have the highest probability of closing the sale. If this approach doesn’t allow you to close the sale, it will at least allow you to go into the negotiation phase more prepared.
This strategy holds true even if the objection is about price. Remember, an objection about price is not a declaration your price is too high. No, it’s a statement the customer doesn’t see a value proposition equal to the investment you’re asking them to make.
Allowing the customer to reject your offer twice doesn’t set you up for failure. In fact, it sets you up to win successfully when you negotiate with the other party.
For more on what you should consider when negotiating, check out my free ebook 12.5 Critical Factors for Negotiating.
Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
