Sales Tips From One of the the Top Sports Training and Consulting Companies- 
Altitude Premium Consulting

BennettTIPS
Weekly Sales Training Tips From Greg Bennett of Altitude Premium Consulting 
a Kroenke Sports Enterprises 
Partner Organization 

Negotiation Strategies That Win

For the Week of Monday, October 25^th 2004 

Negotiation Strategies That Win
-By Greg Bennett

Winning While Being Respected and Liked

Week 3:   Developing Several Options and Ideas for Satisfying the "Why" (the Underlying Reasons Why The Client Is Taking Their Particular Position)

Over the past two weeks, as part of our four-week focus on Negotiation Strategies That Win, we've covered the early, probing stages in negotiation.  This is where we're asking the questions, digging beneath the surface, trying to get at the underlying reasons driving their positions (the "why").  We've also tried to remove the emotions from the negotiation process by establishing a mutually-acceptable "platform" from which we will analyze a "good deal" for both sides. 

Now it's time to "do OUR thing", where we develop and present ideas that can meet the needs of everyone involved. 

  The Best Negotiators Are the Ones Who Can Come Up With the Most Ideas That Not Only Achieve Their Own Objectives, But Also Meet the Underlying Needs of the Client

...and We Can Only Do That If We KNOW What Those Needs Are!

In other words we can't just keep coming back with the same position time and time again, hoping to wear the other side down.  It's sort of like we used to do as kids...trying to get something from your folks by beating them into submission with the same argument made over and over again...

You:   "Hey Ma, I want to go to the Peter Frampton concert.." (Yes, I'm that old)

Mom:  "No...you're not going to be going to a concert...thanks to the "D" you just brought home...and in PHYS ED??"

You:   "It was those STUPID ropes...come on mom...just let me go to...I'll bring that "D" up, we're doing Dodge Ball next...let me just go to this ONE concert...and I'll never bug you again"

Mom:  " I said NO...plus there are kids drinking beer and doing other things there..."

You:    "WHAT?  When did this happen?  Come on...just let me go...

Mom:  "No is no..."

You:  "But WHY...this is stupid...what am I supposed to tell my friends?"
 
Mom:  "That your mom said NO..."

You:   "Yeah...great...Come...on....mom...PLEEEEEAAASEEEE let me go."

Obviously that strategy rarely worked. Unfortunately, I didn't know then what I know now about coming up with more ideas vs just trying to hammer home to same position in the same way time after time and just changing up the "pleading lines" ("why not?", "how come?", "that's not fair", etc etc.).

Though times have changed and we've swapped out a Frampton concert for an agreement on a business deal, we still get stuck sometimes just pushing the same position over and over again and just changing up the "pleading lines" ("why can't we do this deal"?, "that's our offer, why won't you accept it?", etc.)

We need more ideas!

How to Develop More Options and Ideas:  Here is a process for coming up with ideas that will create win-win situations...

• Ask yourself..."What do they WANT?".. write down what you think the underlying needs are (the "Why's)...and don't limit yourself to this situation only...for instance -- what might my mother want in other areas that I could use as leverage with this concert thing?
   

• Analyze ideas that get you what you want...  what are the options you could live with?  Again, don't limit yourself to this situation only.  Sometimes I think we get too stubborn trying to win an argument, holding onto a position just to make a point.
   

• Think about the future and think about leveraging better deals... we often get so caught up in this one time deal that we forget about the future and what advantages you could "leverage" using the situation at hand.  What if we give them what they're after here...but ask for something in return in the future/  How much do they want and need this deal right now?  How much do we want a need this deal right now?  In other words, how important is it for my mom to win this one?  How important is it for me to win this one?  Or could I lay down on this one, and use that leverage to get to go see the Stones on an overnight trip in two months?   
   

• ASK THE CLIENT ABOUT THEIR IDEAS...this seems like a basic one, but we just don't think to do it.   Instead of us coming up with all the ideas and arguments... why not invite the other side to participate in the idea brainstorming?   When I've done this I've been surprised by how much more positive the client's were than what I'd imagined them to be in my mind.  It's as simple as:

  • You:  "Let me ask you a question...I've tossed out a few ideas to consider... what are some ideas you would have for achieving your objectives, and at the same time getting us to where we need to be on this...anything come to mind?"

Exercises for the Week:

• Look at a past negotiation situation you were in and see if you can develop 2 or 3 other ideas or options that you would have been willing to accept...

• Remember to think about the future -- could I have explored more future leveraging ideas?   What other things could I have packaged in to the deal that I didn't?   

Week 4:   Coming to a Win-Win Conclusion 

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Greg Bennett, a partner in the innovative brand expansion and consulting organization, Altitude Premium Consulting,  LLC, has been one of the top sales and sales management trainers in professional sports and entertainment since 1988.  He has created and delivered training programs for over 80+ professional sports teams and leagues, along with several Fortune 500 companies.   Altitude Premium Consulting provides training as well as the creation of premium-branded goods for pro sports teams, entertainment companies and corporate sponsors, and is in a partnership relationship with Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owners of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center, the Colorado Mammoth and several other sports and entertainment entities throughout the United States.  Bennett can be reached at (303) 405-6110, or you can email Greg directly at gbennett@pepsicenter.com .