So You Don't Think You Are A Negotiator?

So you don’t think you are a negotiator…..well, whether you know it or not, you have been negotiating since you were born…………

Some of the more interesting concepts learned from formal negotiating training was what was learned after, through practical application. The basics of negotiating surround the concept of “If I, Will You”. In essence, if you perform or provide something, something will be provided in return. This simple concept started when you were a newborn, and transpires multiple times a day, many times unknowingly or unspoken.

To better understand the negotiating concept of If I, Will You, a few illustrations starting back at infancy:

                ~ If I feed you, will you stop crying?

                ~ If I let you borrow the car tonight, will you get your homework done now?

                ~ If I start dinner, will you take out the garbage?

                ~ If you meet your sales goals, I will provide you with a bonus

There is a misconception that a negotiation must be the proverbial win/win conclusion in order to be successful for either/or both parties involved. Rarely does a negotiation, successful or not, have the result of a win/win conclusion. As with the above examples, if I am the one taking out the trash in order to get dinner started, I may not consider that a win situation. However, understanding that the conclusion to a negotiating may not be your first choice, it is more advantageous to strive for a consensus (Webster’s definition: general agreement or concord; harmony).

The conclusion of a negotiation is one of three outcomes:

1.       Best case scenario: where you received everything you asked for and gave up little in the If I, Will You pattern

2.       Satisfactory scenario: where you received a fair amount of what was requested, giving up an equal amount in exchange

3.       Acceptable scenario: where you can live with what you received in exchanged for giving a bit more in return

Remember, it is quite rare to have both parties receive everything that they sought at the beginning of the negotiating process; if this was the case, a true negotiation may not have taken place at all.

One of the biggest deterrents to a successful negotiating is time.  If your back is against the wall in terms of how quickly you require a negotiated outcome, it can hamper your ability to negotiate effectively. It can be difficult to get a better price from the plumber when you have 4 inches of standing water in your basement. However, a specific time frame can also be used to your advantage. The best time to negotiate a great price on a new car is the last day of the month, when car dealers strive to meet sales goals and quotas.

So, if I provide you with a few tips on effective negotiating, will you use them to receive a better outcome?

                ~ Remember than consensus can be a very effective negotiating tool (and result), understanding that a win/win scenario is rare; strive for consensus where the outcome that both parties received can be lived with

                ~ Avoid the time crunch when negotiating, it can harm your chances of being successful in any negotiation; but also remember that it can be used to your advantage 

                ~ Remember the basic concept of negotiating; If I, Will You; and do not feel uncomfortable using this concept, human nature has us wired to understand that we will give something up if we receive something in return.

Just My Thoughts…………..blah, blah, blah.

               

SELL is a Four Letter Word............When You're Not In Sales

All companies need more sales; it has been, will be, and will remain a critical part of any company's prosperity. Within the last few years, there has been a trend to have more than just the sales team sell the company's products and services. Having non-sales employees promote your company can be extremely beneficial if approached correctly.

Ask anyone what comes to mind when they think of a stereotypical salesperson. The responses are usually not too flattering: sleazy, never telling the truth, telling you what you want to hear, wears gold chains, etc. If these are typical responses (you should ask your employees!) then why, oh why, would you ask your non-sales employees to sell? With their views of sales folks.........it doesn't make much sense.

So, when you are losing the game......change the rules. You can achieve the same results, but you must change your approach. Whether they are a customer service rep, a receptionist, a financial support person........any non-sales position, they can help sell your products and services without feeling like they are being forced to sell (remember its a four letter word to the non-sales employee).

Let's look at why customers buy:
#1 They trust the person they deal with,
#2 They like the person they deal with, and
#3 They count on the person they deal with to be knowledgeable

Now, to get your non-sales employees to help promote your company, you must:
         1. Never tell them they are being asked (required) to sell as part of their job. They will resent it, and you will receive minimal results
         2. Acknowledge the connection they have with the customer....and that you are aware of that priceless relationship. (Remember: they may even have more conversations with the customer than the sales person.) And the end result is the customer TRUSTS them.
         3. Let them know that the customer already LIKES THEM and they have pre-built a strong relationship. Many customer service folks have incredibly strong relationships with your customers, they just need to be told that you recognize it.
          4. And finally (this is where you can gain additional sales) let them know that the customer counts on them to provide information on a new a product or service. That they are actually letting the customer down when they do not share that information; that it could harm the relationship they have established over time. And, that the customer will be appreciative of the new information they share. It will further and strengthen the relationship they have with a customer.

If you are looking to increase sales by all means possible, and are not utilizing your non-sales employees.........you are missing a great opportunity. The non-sales employee can create sales with a current customer; help get a prospect in for a tour of your company (80% of prospects that tour a company end up purchasing from them), or cross-sell additional products and services.

Just my thoughts............blah, blah, blah.

Has Customer Loyalty Died?

I attended a national conference a number of years ago, and there seemed to be quite a discussion whether customer loyalty was alive and well, or had gone by the wayside resulting in a commodity market for the consumer. It was really quite interesting and did make one think about their own business and the relationships they have. Fast forward to today’s economic climate.......I think it might be a combined result of both.

True, the economy can effect the price paid for a product or service, hence the development of a commodity market. The result is the cheapest on the block wins. Price will always be a factor when choosing whom to do business with, but the heart of loyalty is to have the cost be replaced with investment. It is the investment of dollars spent that recognize value, and value is what is at the heart of customer loyalty. A truly loyal customer that recognizes the value they receive will always pay more for a product. That value is based on trust, being likable and providing knowledgeable guidance of the product or service they desire.

Consumers purchase name brand products for one reason: trust. Consumers choose the dealership for automotive service work for one reason: expertise. And consumers choose to do business with one financial planner over another for one reason; they like them. To earn that desired customer loyalty is not that difficult. It is understanding the value of that long-term relationship to your business and cultivating the environment to make it happen. Expect your employees to become an expert in their field and provide the training to accomplish this. Let your employees know you expect them to go the extra mile even before being asked by a customer; and become that likable person. And expect them to do as they promise customers, being easy to do business with a smile.

A company can have a dramatic impact over customer loyalty. If your company struggles in the commodity market, and striving to maintain solvency while offering the least expensive price to gain business, you must change your ways. For if you remain stagnate in those business practices, I can easily predict your future and it won’t be bright. Foster, cultivate and facilitate a healthy, infectious (and profitable) environment of the tools needed to promote customer loyalty...............and make a statement that customer loyalty is alive and well.

Just my thoughts...........blah, blah, blah.

Gratefully Unemployed......................

I recall the search for employment when I was between my junior and senior years in high school. There were soooo many options available for a sixteen-year-old willing and wanting to do just about anything. There were multiple fast food restaurants, the local grocery store, my family’s hardware store; many options. I felt pretty darn lucky with the whole world open up to me. I chose a job working on a dairy farm; baling hay, moving irrigation pipes and any other odd project the ranch hands chose not to do. It was, however, a great feeling as I selected that job.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I am, once again, looking for a career. I have that same giddy feeling that there are many possibilities available. I know, I know, the unemployment rate is 10% or so, but still doesn’t change the fact that we get to choose what we want to do “when we grow up”. The only limitation is choice. Those of us that are in search of a career due to a layoff, a company closure (my reason for being unemployed) or a downsizing, are the lucky ones in today’s job market. A recent poll showed that 60% of all of those that are currently working hate their job (up from 50% a year ago). They do not have the world in front of them, just the same routine, in the same office with the same responsibilities; that is a shame.

I am not saying the search is terribly fun. I really have never interviewed for a job in 25+ years. I have never authored a resume.......never. I don’t think I have ever really been on a job interview, per se. I guess it is another reason why I feel so lucky at life. I have been quite flattered at those relationships I have had over the years looking out for me, with suggestions and little tidbits of information on companies that could use my talents. I am quite grateful for the help and the relationships I have, and do ask that they continue to be on the lookout for me.

Those of us that find ourselves unemployed, for what ever reason, are the lucky ones and should be grateful; we have the entire world in front of us.......and do, indeed, get to choose. We get to choose where we desire to work and make a difference, and become one of the 40% that truly likes their job.

Just my thoughts............blah, blah, blah.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnboytz