This chapter introduces a model of the Win-Win Negotiation process. This is the same model featured in the book The Win-Win Negotiator, which I coauthored with Brian G. Long. After an explanation of the model, I will show how it applies directly to the selling process. As you look at the model on the next…
Whenever I mention that the ability to negotiate is critical to success as a salesperson, I am almost always met with raised eyebrows. And the reason for this is that negotiation is probably the most misunderstood concept in North America. Most people tend to view negotiation as some sort of semi-ethical process that is designed…
In order to give a customer those things that are going to motivate him to give you what you want in return, you have to know what his wants and needs are. Unfortunately, research shows that anticipating another person’s wants and needs is not something most of us do well. This is especially true when…
Once an agreement has been formed and both parties part company with a solid commitment to follow through, there is still much that needs to be done. As any successful salesperson will tell you, the sale really begins after the sale. The reason is that you want customers to come back, and you also want…
Once you’ve established your Win-Win Plan, you come to a step in the Win-Win Negotiation process that is often ignored: the development of Win-Win personal relationships. Developing these relationships is critical because people are very willing to go that extra mile for someone they like and trust. On the other hand, people will rarely stick…
The first step in the Win-Win Negotiation process is the development of a Win-Win Plan. The essence of a Win-Win Plan answers the question: “What can I do for the person I’m about to deal with that will motivate that person to give me what I want in return?” I used to think that negotiation…
The next four chapters focus on the how-to’s of each of the four steps of the PRAM Model as they relate to successful selling. I have renamed these four steps with titles that are oriented less toward negotiation in general and oriented more toward the selling process. I renamed planning “Planning for Positive Results” in…
The idea behind the Win-Win Philosophy is that I get what I want by helping others get what they want and vice versa. In a true Win-Win sales transaction, both parties come away feeling very good about the deal they have just concluded. Both are likely to follow through on their respective promises, to look…
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to listen to a speech given by the vice-president of marketing for a large food manufacturing and distribution company. As he talked about his company’s retail cookie division, he pointed out that this segment of the company had lost money for the last three years in a row. …
Like it or not, every one of us is a salesperson. It’s a fact of life. We’re all selling something whether it be our friendship, an idea, a point of view, a product, or a professional service. The people to whom we try to sell these things are our customers. This means that our success…