Do you sell with integrity?
Posted on October 15, 2010
Filed Under Business, Computers and IT, Financing, Integrity, Leasing, Negotiation, Printing and Graphic Arts | Leave a Comment
I couldn’t believe my ears. The equipment manufacturer’s sales representative said, “Mary, What’s the big deal? Everyone including my boss knows about this little ‘arrangement.’ We do what we have to do to make the sale.”
A New York City commercial printer was asked to attest that he was trading in a competitive brand non-existent press in order to receive a bigger discount. Who’s it hurting?
Does that question bother you? Is lying okay if no one gets hurt? Who has the right to ask customers to compromise their ethics in order to make a sale? Who decides if there is an injured party? Let’s not get the attorneys involved!
As long as the printer lied, he’d receive the “competitive equipment replacement discount” and everyone would go home happy.
The printer hadn’t spotted the fake trade-in document. I uncovered it while preparing to review and negotiate a lease contract for him.
An isolated case? Hardly!
Within a few months, I found another fake trade-in in Missouri. Same set up but this time the scam creator was a dealership owner.
Against my recommendation, both printers acquiesced in order to receive the so-called competitive replacement deal. They both told me that saving the perceived $4,000-$7,000 was worth it to lie.
The Lucky Day Discount
Why couldn’t the discount be explained in a truthful way? Call it the ‘Tuesday discount’ or the ‘lucky day discount.’ ’My boss is feeling generous and I can offer you a once-in-a-life-time deal.’
When companies brag that they set records by displacing more competitive equipment than ever before, the bodies are buried.
Don’t put your customers in this compromising position. Do business with integrity. You’ll sleep peacefully.
Rock Star Negotiators Learn to Face Fears
Posted on September 28, 2010
Filed Under Business, Negotiation | Leave a Comment
Most of us negotiate from the moment we wake until we close our eyes at night. Whether you are a seasoned negotiator or a rookie salesperson honing your skills, improving your negotiation skills is a wise investment in your future.
Translate the Hidden Language
SCENARIO: Throughout your sales presentation, the company owner kept nodding her head in agreement. Your gut told you she’s ready to sign, close the sale. Go for it! You give her your assumptive favorite, “Ms. Danaher, we’ll deliver the new digital press Tuesday if that works for you.”
Her answer shocks you! “I’m not buying your equipment but that was a nice presentation. You’ve improved since last time. Keep up the good work.”
What did you miss? She was nodding yes. Did you notice her eyes never held your gaze? Her arms remained folded across her chest throughout your entire pitch. Bet you also missed noting that her feet faced the office door, ready to run as soon as you finished.
You missed the body language signals. When you learn to accurately read body language, your sales and commissions will increase. In addition, you learn to read what others are thinking. Now that is real selling power!
Tools to Sell to the “Tough Guy”
Special situations require new selling techniques. What about the “Tough Guy” – the customer who gets angry and pounds on the desk no matter what you say.
You probably could benefit if you :
- Implement enhanced listening techniques.
- Take accurate notes throughout the negotiation.
- Conduct advanced internet research regarding the client’s wants and needs.
- Understand why a change of venue and selling style may be powerful.
- Remember that it’s not personal.
New Techniques and Tools
All sales professionals cling to tried and true selling methods. Stepping out of your comfort zone can yield new and exciting results!
When your customer says, “Everyone talks about good service, on time deliveries, competitive pricing and excellent quality work. How are you different?”
How will you respond? Do you know what the customer is really saying?
If you want to be a rock star negotiator, you need to know how to:
- Dig deeper
- Be brave
- Risk more rejection
- Face new fears
As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…You must do the thing you cannot do.”
Take the challenge. Commit to excellent selling!
Everybody Lies When Negotiating. Do You?
Posted on September 23, 2010
Filed Under Business, Integrity, Negotiation | Leave a Comment
This article is by our guest, Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator.
Greg Williams
(Take the ‘mock’ 30 second ‘Liars Test’ at the end. It’s fun!)
When you negotiate, do you lie? Please, don’t even think about becoming indignant. Everybody lies when negotiating, for one reason or another. If you say you don’t lie, you’re lying!
Depending upon what someone is trying to achieve, some lie substantially more than others. Some people believe, when they’re negotiating, if they tell a ‘white’ lie, it’s OK. Some believe a successful negotiation outcome justifies the mean, and thus they do what is necessary to accomplish the goal.
You can be more successful during negotiations by being aware of what motivates people to lie. Below are a few reasons people lie and how you might assist them to tell the truth.
Seven reasons why people lie when negotiating.
1. To keep from exposing a weakness.
2. To keep from being confronted by the truth (OK, this falls under the heading of Duh! However, can you discern why the other negotiator feels mentally enslaved by the thought that an altered truth presents?)
3. Avoid the embarrassment that a bigger lie reveals.
4. Not sure to what degree they may be devalued if the truth is divulged.
5. To enhance the value by which they’re perceived.
6. Entice or entrap the other negotiator to move from one negotiation position to another.
7. To protect the emotional feelings of someone else.
How to protect yourself and detect when people are lying.
When you know why someone might be lying, you can probe his or her story for details. In this case, there are two considerations to keep in mind; one is too much detail, the other is too little detail. The negotiator who is adept at lying knows in order to be convincing, he has to blend the right mixture of detail. He knows if he talks too much, he’ll begin to divulge points that will allow the other negotiator to find ‘holes’ in his story. On the other hand, he’s aware that too little detail displays the fact that he may be ‘forging the truth’ with embellishments.
Observe the other negotiator’s mannerisms to detect a change. Then note why you think the change may have occurred. Don’t question him about the change initially. Wait to uncover other perceptible alterations of the truth. Once you’ve accumulated sufficient feedback, question him as to why he altered his mannerism. Then observe his body language and delivery of information, seeking signs that display his uneasiness with the conversation. If he begins to glance away as he’s speaking, playing/fingering objects nearby as he’s talking, feigning offense for your supposed transgression, tugging at his collar, stammering, or other behavior that indicates he’s uncomfortable, he’s lying and knows you’ve caught him. At that point, you can provide a solution that alleviates his discomfort.
This article wasn’t written to pass judgment on anyone. The article was written to make the reader more successful when negotiating, and to raise the awareness level to the fact that lies occur during negotiations. To that, some may say, “I’m already aware that lies occur during negotiations.” You may realize that lies occur during a negotiation, but the savvy negotiator learns to detect, defuse and defend against a lie throughout the negotiation process.
When you become adept at detecting lies and the underlying reasoning that causes them to become injected into a negotiation, you’ll be better equipped to progress the negotiation down a path that leads to a successful outcome … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are …
Liars Test:
When negotiating (for anything) …
Have you ever ‘altered’ a story to enhance its appeal? (That’s called lying. Always remember that you lie and others lie too.)
Have you ever told someone you’d assist them, only to find a ‘convenient’ excuse to back out of the commitment? (If you try to explain away your reason you lied, and others have done so when they did so to you.)
Prior to ‘altering’ the truth, have you ever considered the ‘size’ of a lie, to determine its viability? (If so, you compared the lie you were contemplating to one you already told. Thus, you’ve lied in the past. This was a ‘trick’ question. )
If you’d like more information about Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator, visit his website at http://www.TheMasterNegotiator.com, where you will also find information about his new book, “Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More.”
Check out the new negotiation workshop by Greg Williams and Mary Redmond: “Men and Women do it differently…Negotiate, that is!” Available as a CD, or as a live negotiation workshop by Mary and customized for your group.
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