Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value, 14/e

Planning for Formal Negotiations

Professional buyers are well-trained negotiators. To negotiate with them effectively, salespeople first need to engage in detailed planning. Ironically, one of the most common mistakes negotiators commit is not doing their homework in advance.11

Gather Information before the Negotiation

Exhaustive preparation is more important than aggressive argument.12 Robert H. Schuller offers invaluable advice in this crucial step.13 First, a salesperson should prepare from both counterparts’ points of view by identifying the similarities and differences of the goals and objectives of both sides. Then, information sources are tapped. The information might be from business associates, buyers’ websites, or even previous vendors ...