Aug 07 2007
Are You A Spoiled Brat Negotiator?
JF Guest Author Spot
“Are You A Spoiled Brat Negotiator?” by Kim Duke
I was pushing my chocolate-laden shopping cart at the grocery store the other day (yes – Divas grocery shop!) and saw a power negotiator in action.
This person was persistent, passionate and absolutely on purpose!
They were also less than 4 feet high.
Yeah -you guessed it lady – I saw a 6 year old girl with pig-tails seriously work her mother for a different kind of yogurt.
I know – yogurt? (if it had been me – it would have been sugar cereal or a chocolate bar all the way!)
You got it – this little blonde, blue-eyed dynamo was determined she wasn’t going to have to eat the stuff out of the “big” plastic, boring container. She wanted the stuff in the colorful tubes instead!
I kid you not – this is what I heard her say…(this child should be teaching sales)
“But Mom - this kind tastes better and I always eat it at school.”
BINGO!
Mom folded like a taco and a little girl got her box of tube yogurt. And a Sales Diva received some inspiration for a column!
Are You A Spoiled Brat At Negotiating?
This little girl absolutely “Wowed” me with her negotiating skills because she inadvertently said what her mother needed to hear. Benefit. Benefit. Benefit.
So she actually wasn’t a spoiled brat negotiator at all.
But YOU probably are.
One of the biggest reasons most people SUCK at negotiating is because it’s all about ME, ME, ME!
Remember – a successful negotiation is not where you have STICKY FINGERS.
Follow these 5 Bossy Sales Diva Rules Instead:
1. Stay calm. If you’re stamping your feet in the sandbox about what you want and lose all sense of logic…well then – you have just become vulnerable in the world of negotiating. And you’re about to lose your favorite toy. (in my world – this means MONEY)
2. Pouting doesn’t work. If your potential customer isn’t seeing the value of what you offer – that’s YOUR ISSUE and not theirs. No one likes a defensive cry-baby.
3. Share Your Toys. A successful negotiation is where both parties feel like it was a Win-Win. No one should feel they were “taken for a merry-go-round-ride”.
4. Play With The Right People. Are you really busy chasing people who have no need for your services? You’re going to get a lot of rejection. Be super clear on who your target audience is.
5. Don’t Reward Bad Behavior. Hey – stop giving discounts to people who always want the cheapest price or who only want to buy something small. Reward your loyal customers, or people who are making a large commitment of time and investment in you.
When I was a kid, my sister’s favorite expression to me was “You’re not the BOSS of me!”
She was right.
The only person who is THE BOSS OF YOU – IS YOU.
It’s time you grew up and realized that you have VALUE and you don’t have to be the cheapest kid on the block. You don’t need everyone to like you – you just need more of the kinds who do.
So there.
Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for women small biz owners and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients internationally, showing them The Sales Diva secrets to success! Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE e-zine and receive her FREE Bonus Report “The 5 Biggest Sales Mistakes Women Make” at www.salesdivas.com
Hot Event: Upcoming Teleseminar
Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling
Date: Thursday, August 9th
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 1 pm EDT, 12 noon CDT, 11 am MDT, 10 am PDT
Price: $79/person (includes audio mp3 after the session)
Register now.
Everyone who is involved in business development, sales, or account management in any way, has probably “cold called.” Yet, any time a seller meets with a prospect without knowing about them, their industry, their issues, and how the product or service is relevant to something they care about, the seller runs the risk of losing credibility and worse, losing the deal.
In this session, Jill Konrath interviews industry expert and trusted colleague Sam Richter, author of Take the Cold out of Cold Calling and president of the James J Hill Reference Library. He’ll give you the inside scoop on how to locate information on companies, industries and people.
Specifically, you’ll discover:
- Secrets on using the Internet to locate critical business information.
- Tips and tricks for popular search engines – how get it right the first time.
- The “Invisible Web” – Web sites most people and search engines can’t find.
- How to access premium information resources at no or very low cost.
- The theory of the “Fourth R” and value-based “warm call selling.”
- How to massively increase your credibility with prospects and existing clients.
- How to use the “Customer Data Aggregator” and expert “Warm Call Scripts” to organize information and make a great first impression.
Every attendee receives full use of the “Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling” Web site and downloadable toolbar featuring direct access to the resources discussed during the presentation, plus live, expert business reference help.
Attendees also will receive several chapters from the e-book version of Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling which describes in detail how to practice what is learned.
[...] Are You A Spoiled Brat Negotiator? Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for women small biz owners and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients internationally, showing them The Sales Diva secrets to success! Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE … [...]