Purchasing managers are being given the following tips on how they can get a better price in negotiations. This information can help you determine how to better approach customer communications and sales.
The tips are:
- Pay attention to the salesperson’s eyes. Eyes show passion, commitment, sincerity, and whether someone is telling the truth. Notice any uneasiness or hesitancy that might signal weakness?
- Create multiple buying influences. Let salespeople know that you will have to check with other people before making a decision. It’s a convenient way to say “no” or simply stall the decision.
- Avoid meeting a salesperson face-to-face when possible. Try to conduct business by email, and solicit bids when decisions can be made void of any emotions and strictly by bottom-line price.
- Take charge by asking questions. It keeps you on the offensive and salespeople on the defensive.
- Downplay your needs. Try to get the salesperson to think smaller instead of bigger. Once salespeople give up control of the sales call, they relinquish the role of being the experts.
- Ask about price right up-front. You can shut them down immediately if you can’t afford what they have quoted.
- Verbally or visually react when the salesperson quotes a price. It may be a raise of the eyebrows, a scratch on the head or a frown. It almost always puts a salesperson on the defensive.
- Use the word “budget.” Some salespeople don’t have a clue as to how to respond to that word.
- Put off the decision as long as possible. Most salespeople won’t give you a compelling reason to close the sale now. A stall means they haven’t hit the right emotional button, so you don’t have to act until they do.
- Play off of your competition. You can get a better deal by letting the salesperson know your competition is offering a better price.
- Ask questions about how they plan to follow-though after the sale is made. You will be able to measure their personal reliability by their responses.
- Try to measure the salesperson’s product knowledge. Avoid dealing with salespeople who don’t know their products or can’t answer simple questions. You want to deal with salespeople who know their products thoroughly and place a high value on their technical support.
- Look for personal integrity in salespeople. Beware of salespeople who try to cut corners or go to any length to close a sale. What does the salesperson offer that is better than the competition?
- See if the salesperson talks too much. Does he or she listen and offer good advice? Salespeople who talk more than they listen may not be the best fit for your needs.
- See if the salesperson shows empathy. You want salespeople who learn about their prospects, their problems and their goals.
Adapted from: Contagious Selling, by David Rich, a sales consultant.
