Lately I’ve had a number of discussions with salespeople about how they’re finding themselves having to negotiate on nearly every deal.
Every one of them has said negotiating has become a fact of life because things are so competitive. I agree things have become more competitive, but then again, so has nearly everything else in life.
The problem is much bigger than merely having to negotiate on nearly every deal. The issue in my mind is with the selling process.
If we’re not able to create a distinguishable difference with what we sell and demonstrate to the customer true value, then we’re doomed to negotiate every deal.
I feel the reason many salespeople find themselves having to negotiate every deal is they’ve forgot how to sell.
In their quest to make their number, they short-circuit the merits of the selling process to try and get right to the close and them boom, they can’t close without negotiating.
When our selling process is focused on understanding the customer and allowing them to see things they didn’t think were possible, we’re creating value.
When we use the selling process to help them feel certain about the outcomes they will receive from what we’re selling, we’re creating value.
When we help the customer realize the benefits they will gain and the issues they will avoid from what we sell, we’re creating value.
The value we create or, I should say, the value the customer believes they will receive, will determine our ability to close a sale without negotiating.
If you knew what somebody was selling was essential to your future success, would you negotiate with them? No, you’d buy it based on the future success you’re expecting.
Right there is the answer — customers negotiate when they don’t see value. Allow them to see value, and the potential for having to negotiate will decrease significantly.
For more information on negotiating skills, check out Breakthrough Sales University. You won’t regret it.
Copyright 2015, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
