“Hang
on,” I hear you say. “What if they offer me what I want?” But
is it what you want? Is it what they want?
Before
you get into the 'make the deal no matter what' mind-set, there are a
few things for you to consider before getting the clients signature
on the order form. And it's the order form itself that is the
problem. Most forms of sales training concentrated on getting to the
close and gloss over the importance of the negotiation.
This
key point is the difference between being an order-taker and a
professional negotiator. An order taker will take the deal in front
of him, generally has little scope for negotiation and will not
necessarily be rewarded (or thanked) for getting a better deal.
Therefore, they will sign up the order and move on to the next
customer. And that's fine if that's the environment you're working
in. A negotiator will look for the best deal or him or his company.
If
you take the first offer, how may you feel and how will that leave
your client feeling?
Have
you ever been in a situation when your first offer was accepted? How
did that make your feel? Did you feel that the seller was too keen to
accept your offer? Did you walk away feeling there may have been a
better deal to be made? Did you feel cheated?
Any
deal feels better for both parties if they have to work at it or have
earned it. This is not negotiation for the sake of it (that would be
a waste of time.) But its about creating a deal and arriving at a
price where both sides believe they've done a good job.
So
don't accept the first offer. You owe it to your client.
