Sales Negotiators Should Always Have Limited Authority – Or Else!

Do you run the world yet? I’m going to guess that the answer is no (if it isn’t, then we need to talk). When we talk about being successful in a sales negotiation, we often spend a lot of time trying to figure out how we can get more negotiating power on our side. However, … Read more

Classic Sales Negotiation Tactic: I’ve Got To Talk To My Boss…

Picture this scene: it was about 20 years ago (ouch!) and I was still dating my wife when she suddenly had to replace her car. She knew exactly what she wanted: a Honda Civic with a manual transmission. There was a local Honda dealer near where she lived so one evening we went there to … Read more

Weird Negotiating: The Buy Now – Negotiate Later Tactic

I’ve always thought that this tactic was just a little bit crazy, but I have come to think that it goes on a lot more than any of us may believe. To set the stage properly, you’ve got to be able to imagine a buyer who is desperate. For whatever reason, a project has got … Read more

Negotiating Self Defense: Countering The Reverse Auction Tactic

I’ve always liked superheros. From my earliest days of reading comic books to my current-day trips to the movie theater to see Spiderman and Iron Man, I just don’t seem to be able to get my fill of superheros. I believe that superheros, although fictional (probably – however I still have hope), can teach us … Read more

What If There Was No “What If” Negotiation Tactic?

During a negotiation, there often arise cases where we’d really like to get the seller to give us information that they really don’t want to give to us. If only there was some way to test the other side’s willingness to settle with us. Oh, and if there was a way to also “zero in” … Read more

Negotiation Firestarter: The Take It Or Leave It Tactic

If you really want to set off the other side of the table during a negotiation, one great way to do this is to tell them that they can “take it or leave it.” This is pretty much the verbal equivalent of throwing gas on a fire – you are guaranteed to generate hostility on … Read more

How Do You Deal With The Rest Of The Iceberg During A Negotiation?

As the captain of the Titanic, Edward John Smith, did a fairly good job of looking out for the parts of icebergs that were above water. What got him in the end is when the Titanic hit a part of an iceberg that he couldn’t see because it was below water. In negotiating, all too … Read more

7 Ways To Be Successful In A Negotiation

If only there was some magic formula for being a successful negotiator. You know what I’m talking about, some process that if you followed it from start to finish you could always be assured that you would “win” a negotiation. Well, as we’ve discussed in the past on this blog, the concept of winning a … Read more

How To Make “Total Cost” Work For You When Negotiating A Sale

I suspect that I’m just about every car salesperson’s nightmare. I’m the guy who decides what model car he wants by either personal experience (“I want another one just like that one”) or by reading every car review that I can get my hands on. I then go ahead and spend countless hours online and … Read more