To put it straight and blunt, a salesman without negotiation skills is never a salesman. It sounds harsh, but it is a fact. Although no one has business negotiation skills by birth, it is imperative for individuals striving to build a career in salesmanship. Negotiations can make or break business deals.
In any business, salespeople have the toughest job. May it be selling products, services, or concepts, their task is to get business, build & maintain relations with customers, develop prospects, and finally, increase the revenue of the company. The above steps seem easy, but in a highly competitive world, winning business is tough.
It is here sound negotiation skills come into the picture.
Experienced salespeople are well-versed with the importance of negotiation skills in business, and they employ their skills to acquire new clients and generate prospects.
The world over, negotiation skills are mistaken as an ability to get business by hook or crook method or fix the business deal at a lower price. But these quick fixes fall off soon, resulting in losing customers and reputation. To build a distinguished image, salespeople do require the right set of negotiation skills.
Here are a few pivotal Negotiation skills.
Listening: Listening is one of the primary abilities among all skills. When negotiating, salespeople usually get tempted to convince the client to agree to the terms, but in reality, allowing the client to share and listen to his opinion is essential. Listening helps the salesperson to adjust the sales pitch accordingly.
It increases the chances of further sales opportunities and referrals of prospective customers.
Enunciation: Enunciation means to pronounce. When pitching, selling, and explaining a product or service, a salesperson should have a clear voice. It helps the customer to understand. Plus, having a clear pronunciation during the negotiation process helps the salesperson and customer to close the deal positively.
Rapport: When attempting to close a business deal, negotiation is a secondary process. And in that process, it is crucial to building a rapport with the client. Good friendly relationship opens the doors for future business opportunities; however, the salesperson should ensure balancing business and friendly relations.
Decision Making: Once the sales pitch is through, the clients may or may not agree with the pricing. Clients may ask for discounts or additional features for free. At this time, the salesperson should be quick in decision making. He or she should analyze the size of the business, the client’s background, market reputation, and then decide whether to offer a discount and the percentage.
Avoiding Higher Discount: Offering a discount more or less guarantees a sale, but the salesperson should not rely on discounts. Creating a product and working on pricing takes a lot of effort, giving higher discounts can defeat the efforts and result in losses.
Apart from the above skills, a salesperson should maintain his or her posture. People looking to make it big in selling should undergo professional training courses on sales and marketing that are offered by private institutions.