Successful commercial negotiations based on these 3 principles

In every business opportunity that was a school subject, negotiation was the final test of the year.

No matter how much understanding you've gained over the last six months or weeks, if you fail this test, it's your results that will be remembered.

To avoid these disastrous situations, here are a few checklists to help your teams successfully exit the examination room.

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Tip 1: Don't let a negotiation take place in writing.

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We've all made this mistake at least once (myself first): negotiating by e-mail. Not only does it waste a lot of time, it can be fatal!

Imagine this situation: you've been negotiating with a potential customer for months. All the exchanges have been by e-mail. Finally, the customer asks for your best offer. You see an opportunity and decide to send them your proposal. But you'll never hear from them again.

You later discover that the customer has used your offer as leverage to negotiate with a competitor in order to lower the opposing proposal.

Such a situation can jeopardize all your negotiations and performance.

To avoid this, avoid e-mail offers at all costs, and negotiations in general!

It's better to get out the phone and call the prospect (several times if necessary). You'll save time and get real-time feedback!

Only make offers verbally, not in writing.

It's essential to understand that e-mail negotiations can be a double-edged sword. Not only can you lose valuable time, but you can also put your business at risk.

By using the telephone to negotiate, you can establish a climate of trust with your counterpart, better understand his needs and expectations, and negotiate in real time. This will optimize your chances of a successful sale, while avoiding the potentially disastrous pitfalls of written negotiations.

📝 Bonus: don't confuse offer and price. You can clearly give your price quite quickly, to weed out never-buy prospects and save time. But a clear and complete offer, the culmination of an entire negotiation process, is not sent lightly:

• A typo can lead to a misunderstanding.
• The ball is now in the prospect's court. You're in a waiting game. Your prospect will wait to receive interesting information before asking you to lower your price.
• Your prospect could use it against you.

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2nd checklist: prepare every negotiation to win!

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You want to win the negotiation, don't you? Then prepare yourself in advance!

The first step is to define a clear framework beforehand.

So you need to ask yourself the right questions:

• Which arguments will work?
• What's negotiable and what isn't?
• Where's the red line?

It's essential that you have all these elements in mind before each negotiation.

On the other side of the table, prospects are also anticipating this meeting. So it's important to anticipate the objections they might make, and prepare answers to each of them. As the saying goes: "Hard preparation, easy war". By preparing properly, you'll avoid unpleasant surprises and be better equipped to respond to objections.

Next, it's important to make sure you speak quickly to the decision-maker(s). There's nothing worse than talking to someone for half an hour only to hear a "Thank you for all this information, I'll discuss it with my superior and get back to you". Right from the start of the conversation, tackle the subject head-on and ask if other people are involved in the purchasing decision.

Finally, for a successful negotiation, it's important that all parties are honest and forthright. Slandering your competitors may pay off in the short term, but it can have negative long-term consequences - for you, for your customers, and for the whole world. By remaining honest, you'll build a relationship of trust with your prospect that can pay off in the long term.

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Tip ³: aim for a win-win situation when negotiating.

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The secret to this 3ᵉ anti-cheat: approach negotiations with the right frame of mind.

Contrary to what one might think, a negotiation is not an arm wrestling match.

This is not a war in which the first party to bend loses. On the contrary, a good negotiation is one in which both parties win. We call these "win-win" situations.

To achieve a win-win situation, it's essential to find a compromise that satisfies both parties.

To achieve this, it's essential to control your imagination. If your prospect is desperate to pay less than you're offering, don't panic. There are plenty of quid pro quos you can ask for that will be more beneficial to you.

So, how do we get there? The first step is to put the other party's interests first.

Next, look for elements of the negotiation that are mutually beneficial.

Finally, adopt a positive and creative attitude to find solutions that work for everyone.

Bonus: here are 3 examples of counterparties we use in our negotiations.

• Offer a longer-term commitment. In most cases, if your prospect is convinced by your product or service, he'll be more open to a 2 or 3-year commitment if it helps reduce the bill.
• Negotiating presentations. This is called the golden ticket. Ask your prospect for 5 "quality" presentations with members of his network who could become customers.
• Make marketing happy! Suggest to your prospect that he or she complete a customer file within the next 6 months, and leave one or more positive reviews of your solution. This will reinforce the social proof of your company and make it easier for you to convince future prospects. It may seem trivial, but it can change everything (especially if you're working in a start-up or launching a new vertical).

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In conclusion

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1. Communicate your offers by e-mail only. Negotiate in person.
2. Master the framework, as well as the negotiation margin.
3. Negotiations aren't about arm-wrestling, they're about working together. Aim for a win-win situation;)

And finally, forget about stress! You're here to help your prospects, so there's no reason to panic. Keep that mindset, apply these tips and enjoy your bonuses.

Better,

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