Negotiation
The Toughest Negotiator You'll Ever Meetby Bernard Zick
There's a person who knows every move you make--and the ones you are going to make. He or she knows why you offer the price you offer and can think faster than you can talk. You see this person in the mirror every morning.
That's right. The toughest negotiator you will ever meet is you.
Negotiating Basics
A very important rule in negotiation that people violate all the time is: don't negotiate against yourself. What do I mean when I say "negotiate against yourself"? You negotiate against yourself when you offer, sometimes hastily, to sweeten the deal-either by lowering the price, giving better terms or both-when it is not necessary.
To illustrate it, I'll share a recent experience with you. My inventory manager told me we ran out of plastic page protectors, part of the packaging for one of our training courses. Since we had just received a large order that had to be shipped immediately, he asked me to meet him at a local office supply store to approve a substitute item.
Discounts
We found a suitable product and told the clerk we needed several hundred, which was more than they had on display. The clerk immediately summoned the manager. The manager was eager to get our business and promised to have her people search the storeroom to get our page protectors. While we waited, she said she would be glad to give us a 15% discount since the order was a large one.
Now remember, we were desperate for these items. There is no doubt that we would have paid a premium just to get them all at once, so we could ship. I had not asked for, nor expected, a discount. When the store assembled all the merchandise, I noticed there were different brands with slightly different prices, but essentially the products were the same.
I commented, even apologized, that it was a lot of extra work for the clerk to ring up different amounts for so many boxes. I was just making an observation and trying to be appreciative. After all, we just solved an emergency supply problem. Without hesitation, the manager said, "We will charge you the same price for all the boxes, the price of the cheapest one." That reduction was equivalent to another 15-20% savings. Mind you, I hadn't asked for anything off. At this point, I was almost afraid to say anything else because I knew what the manager was doing. She was negotiating against herself. She assumed that anyone who bought large quantities would demand the most competitive discount possible. Didn't everyone want what she would have wanted in that situation?
Package Deal
Finally, I asked about the total price. (I still hadn't requested any discount or concessions.) Before giving me the total, the manager said, "OK. The best I can do is 25% off for the entire purchase price." The clerk then refigured the price and totaled it. Although I appreciated the extra discount, it had nothing to do with my decision to buy. I almost felt guilty, so I decided to buy some additional office supplies, while I was there.
When I took them up to the check-out counter, I told the manger I would like to add about $35 of additional merchandise to the bill. She promptly smiled and responded, "Too late. I already have it totaled. I guess I'll have to give you those items for free." I didn't complain, but I could see how much her negotiating with herself was going to cost that business. She wanted to make sure a customer who purchased a larger-than-usual order was happy. And she used what she thought would satisfy that customer. But, it was not necessary. I probably would have paid extra just to get the merchandise!
Save Your Money
Situations like this one are common. Sellers offer things of value, thinking they will help close the deal. How many times have you felt like offering something extra to a buyer or seller-something that you are sure they will consider valuable-because you wanted to "keep on their good side." Unless they want or need what you are offering, you are throwing your money away.
You should know what they really want before you begin negotiating. If you don't know what the other party wants and needs, you cannot effectively negotiate. For example, if the manager in the office supply store had asked only a question or two about our requirements, she would have realized we needed what she had more than she needed to discount her products to get our business.
Golden Technique
Let's look at a powerful negotiating tactic that is effective in situations like this one and many others. It helps you stop negotiating against yourself and actually encourages the other party to offer you more. In a word: silence. Simply by being quiet, often you can prosper. Think about how you feel when someone doesn't respond to you when you are discussing a purchase or sale. Isn't your natural tendency to offer them more? Clever negotiators know that once you offer more the first time they don't respond positively, you probably will continue doing so each time they hesitate or are silent. Most people become uncomfortable when the person they are dealing with becomes quiet. In fact, the other person may just be thinking the proposition over or reviewing all the benefits. It's difficult to keep quiet, but that is what you must do to get the deal you want. Try it. I know you will want to talk. If you speak when you already have a bargain, you will find yourself offering additional benefits unnecessarily. Sometimes it pays just to "shut up."
Silence can, as the old expression goes, be golden. Let silence be your new secret negotiating weapon. And watch out for the toughest negotiator around, the one in the mirror. You want this person on your side.
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Deal-Maker" Bernard Zick, a top Business Growth Expert, has spoken to over 250,000 top leaders in America. His expertise is widely recognized, and he is considered a master negotiator. You can contact "Deal-Maker" Zick at www.zick.com. His best-selling bo
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