Effective negotiators try to find a solution to a problem or reach an agreement that meets everyone's satisfaction. Traditionally, American (and increasingly, global) corporate business has been a zero-sum game; there is a "winner" and a "loser;" with the "winner's" victory coming at the expense of the loser. This is not what constitutes effective negotiating, and in the long term, leads only to resentment, lost business opportunities, and as some global corporate giants are discovering in Latin America, outright social unrest. Truly effective negotiators work towards results that deliver a net gain for all concerned.
Applying Negotiations to Work
When facing sales negotiating - or any other type of negotiation situation - the first step is to assess your own interests as well as those of the other parties involved. What does everyone want? What is everyone willing to give up? For you see, effective negotiation involves some "give" as well as "take" from all parties.
It is also important to understand where everyone is "coming from." This is unfortunately a generalized term, but in the context of sales negotiation, refers to past experience, future goals, and culture base - corporate as well as social. It also refers to expectations, which go back to what everyone involved is willing to give up in order to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement - as well as those points that are not negotiable.
Finally, you will need to determine what effective negotiating strategies and techniques are most appropriate to use. There are several such techniques that can be used; many of these involve the "give" and "take" referred to above, as well as breaking down the terms and reaching agreement on smaller elements of a larger agreement one piece at a time. Effective negotiating also requires some flexibility and willingness to change.
Effective negotiation is only part of what can be learning in good negotiation training. Such negotiation courses are provided by highly trained, highly skilled individuals who have a great deal of experience in sales negotiating.
Choosing the Right Negotiations Course
Based on an our own assessment of your company's strengths, weaknesses, short and long-term goals and present position - as well as those of yourself and any staff members - your trainer will design a negotiation course specifically tailored to your company's situation. Such a course will include appropriate materials that are easy to understand and are pertinent to a variety of situations.
Most importantly, an effective negotiation course provides opportunities for learners to actually practice using sales negotiation techniques in actual, real-world situations. An investment in training to become an effective negotiator is one of the most lucrative investments one can make in a company and its future profitability.
