C-Suite Network™

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Category: Sales

Categories
Body Language Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Resolve Powerful Opposition By Reading Body Language“ – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“Don’t fear opposition. From it, you can become stronger.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book

“How To Resolve Powerful Opposition By Reading Body Language“

 

He observed the opposing member’s body language and noted a rise in their opposition. He thought – this intervention is not going well. I’ll display a stronger resolve through my body language when I speak. And that will enhance my words.

Even those not astute at reading body language become swayed by their gestures. Some they see, and others they miss – their subconsciousness may capture the latter. That may lead to someone thinking, ‘I had a hunch or a feeling about that. But I didn’t know what it meant.’ In reality, that was their intuition summoning their consciousness. When one notices the slight gesture of someone biting their lips, hands-on hips, or an intense glare, those gestures convey a message.

You can use the following information about reading body language to resolve opposition to your position.

 

Identify Alliances

Always know who’s aligned with whom before you attempt an intervention. Without that insight, you don’t know who might be your real friend or foe. That’s important because, without that knowledge, you can’t confront the real force that opposes you. Thus, there may be a stronger force with superior powers that go unaddressed. And that could leave you going in circles wondering why you’re not advancing.

To identify possible factions aligned against you, consider planting misinformation about one group in the other. And note what that information does within those units. In particular, observe what the info does per new alliances the opposition forms. You can glean additional insight by visually inspecting the coalitions when you’re in the same environment. Do that by noting who congregates with whom and any other nonverbal exchanges that occur. You’re looking for the slightest of shifts to increase your advantage. If the forces are still committed to one another as before, that might indicate the information was insufficient for its purpose. It could also imply that there’s a stronger alliance than you’d imagined. And an FYI, this tactic is served better if you have a confidant within your targets midst place the information.

While some might consider this maneuver to be underhanded, depending on the threat confronting you, it may be well warranted – even if some revile you. Just be mindful that those with the most to lose will be the ones that contest you the most. Once uncovered, they’ll be the real opponents challenging your position.

 

Understanding One Important Body Language Queue

To identify alliances through body language, observe gestures passed between members of the opposition. Such gestures as one member placing a hand on the shoulder of another while talking can silently indicate that he’s seeking support from that person. You can also observe someone searching for assistance when a person speaks, and someone from his group places a hand on his shoulder. Since the prior gesture can also be a form of control (i.e., let’s not go that far), take note of when it occurs and who initiates the action. If it’s a “let’s not go that far” intent, the person displaying the gesture may be a leader behind the scenes or someone that you can use later to control the person speaking. Using a veiled leader in that capacity would allow you to use the hidden powers of an influencer.

 

Signs of Escalation

Some body language gestures are like canaries in a coal mine – they foretell pending danger.

 

Face-To-Face

You can sense some body language gestures before the display becomes altered. Thus, those displays reflect the emotional state of that individual at that moment. Those signals are called micro-expressions.

There are other signs to observe, such as hand flexing, the hand becoming a fist, displaying a grimacing demeanor while moving closer to you, and increasing the rate of speech. Such indicators can be the signal of emotional elevation, which can lead to hostile escalations.

It’s important to note such signals because they can indicate a change in the mental temperature. And that could put you in a worse position – which can lead you and them to become unreceptive to logical thinking.

 

On Phone

When speaking on the phone, listen for deep sighing, the deliberation of words, and the pace of speech of the person with whom you’re talking. As someone’s ire becomes heightened, you’ll hear the rise of it through those nonverbal queues. Note if you’re displaying such gestures too. Because regardless of who commits those actions, it’s an opportunity for you to shift the conversation in a direction that suits your purpose.

 

Reflection:

You can note the effectiveness of your efforts by the shifting positions your opponents adopt. Note the shift verbally and physically when in person. That’ll indicate their attempts to seek an opening they can exploit. Which means they’re on the defense.

Thus, when intervening in situations, depending on the value of the outcome, do so with vigor – don’t dither. Dithering can waste your time and hamper your position. And that’s something you can’t afford. Use the body language signs mentioned before, during, and after an intervention. They’ll put you in a more powerful position … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

 

#opposition #Body #language #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

Categories
Investing Marketing Personal Development Sales

Build Your Sales Capability From the Most Important Core

Every sales performance expert learns that adding rigor and process to average selling improves results.  Not nearly as many know what rigor and process won’t accomplish the most important thing.  The detail and rigor that methodology adds often diverts attention and management energy away from the real work of selling: getting a buyer to see value in your proposal.

I sold sales skills and methodologies for almost a decade, and have helped many companies implement them. I have lived in a methodology for a quarter-century. I’m rock solid in my support these tools, but I have also come to learn what they can’t – and don’t—do. Typically, they allocate training time and coaching energy about as shown on this inverted pyramid:

The bottom two represent selling progress.  Without that, everything else is selling motion: activity — with or without progress.  If your people are already good at the bottom two, the top items are a great refinement. If they stink at the last two, fix that before investing in process rigor. In fairness, some people think that building customer value is a skillset reserved for product training.  Not really, although there are some elements of product training that will help a salesperson build customer value.

That Sounds Radical, Mark. Can You Back It Up?

Let’s look at some research:

CSO Insights has just updated its list of the twelve behaviors that correlate with the highest-performing sales organizations (World Class Sales Organizations, or WCSOs for short). WCSOs are elite performers, with 23% higher win rates, 23% higher rates of quota attainment (they achieve success more widely across the sales force), retention is 7% higher, and they make revenue plan at a 5% higher rate.  Summary:  you want your organization to be one of these WCSOs.

Here are the 12 behaviors of WCSOs.  The organization scheme is my own.

Organizational alignment around the customer journey:

  • Sales, Marketing, & Services
  • Sales Operations, Sales Enablement, & Sales Management
  • Consistency Across Channels
  • Data strategy that aligns and coordinates all functions

Value Focused selling:

  • Mutually-valuable customer conversations
  • Purposeful, [value-evoking — my emphasis] customer conversations, using a call planning tool
  • Effective value messaging

Their People are a Priority:

  • A quality talent strategy
  • Use of formal assessments in hiring and performance management
  • Effective sales coaching
  • A culture of continuous development (vs. “train-and-coast”)

Plus one outlier:

  • A rigorous forecasting process. (I happen to believe in one particular kind of rigor: value-informed forecasting, but that is only a subcategory of this more general behavior CSOi describes).

Look at that list again:  Sales process and methodology don’t make the top 12 behaviors of world-class sales organizations. Playbooks aren’t there either. Your marketing stack is only a subset of value messaging. I’d venture to say that every one of those world-class organizations uses process and methodology, but so do average-performing organizations. The results as I see them:  customer value focus dominates the mix of WCSO indicators: it forms the backbone of at least nine of the behaviors and informs the rest.

Here’s another research tidbit specifically on value-building:  Rain Group has found that Value-Driving sales organizations have 20% higher win rates, and are 25% more likely to grow revenue.  There’s more, but you get the idea.

Bottom line: value-focused selling is more highly correlated with sales excellence than a fine consensus selling methodology.  Sales leaders, and sales enablement pros: what does that mean to you in your role? How might it affect your plans for 2020?

What’s at the Core of Sales?

Value is the basis—it’s at the core — of all commerce.  And sales. Perceived value determines if a prospect will open an email, click on a link, accept an invitation to meet, sit through a demo…or choose your proposal over the status quo. Insufficient value is what prevents transactions.

Since value is at the core of sales, you need to audit how effectively your salespeople build it in your customers’ minds.  I have bad news. Most salespeople are good at going through the motions you trained them to perform, but are not that good at building value in your customers’ minds.

Practitioners of multiple sales methodologies have told me the same thing over and over (and I’ve experienced first-hand in almost a decade of work with one leading B2B methodology).  Salespeople are pretty good at the methodology details (the vast majority of top-of-inverted-pyramid training/coaching time and energy you drilled into their heads…after which they somehow got the impression is the most important), but are sloppy about understanding customer-perceived value…the core.  Sure, each methodology labels it differently, but the failure point is the same: understanding, then building value inside a prospect’s mind.

Every sales force has the same challenge…so do probably most of your competitors.  What does that mean to you in your role? How might it affect your plans for 2020?

Put the Pyramid Right-Side-Up: Value As The Strong Foundation

The foundation of selling is changing perceived value of your offer as compared to any other option, including status quo. Don’t build sales process and methodology on a weak foundation.  Make you salespeople superior at understanding – then building — customer value. Build from there.  Methodology then becomes a force multiplier.

Oh yeah.  Once they are good at building value, they’ll be better at avoiding discounts. VPs of Sales, CFOs, CEOs and board members:  what does that mean to you in your role? How might it affect your plans for 2020?

I’m not anti-methodology.  I’m for getting the biggest bang for your buck.  I’m for adding value to your sales team’s adding value. What are you for?

Like or share if this resonates with you.  Comment below if the mood strikes you. Contact me if we should talk.

To your success!

Categories
Best Practices Economics Marketing Personal Development Sales

The Challenge of Pricing Disruptive Technologies

This month, I attended a couple of entrepreneur and investor events.  The term “disruptive technology” appeared frequently and prominently – as it should.  What figured less prominently was an understanding of how to capture the value of disruptive technology in the form of price.

If you’re disrupting, you’re delivering value differently….often enabling value differently.  You need to be paid for your creativity…That’s the market imperative. After all, it costs money for a company to build new, highly differentiated value…and the price is how that all gets paid for.

My Lens on the World: Value-based pricing.

Full disclosure: when I call myself a sales, value, and pricing expert, I mean I am an expert on helping companies achieve win-win, value-based pricing.  Customers use price as a comparison point against perceived value. If I can help your B2B salespeople regularly build enough value, customers will have stronger buying preference, at higher prices.

I’ve heard several good definitions of value, but for our purposes, I’d like to use this one:

Value is the desirability of outcomes your products or services deliver to a customer.

This definition gives insight into how value forms and builds in the customer’s mind.  It guides to sales and marketing organizations working to build – then objectively price – a disruptive innovation.

Outcome-based Value Analysis.

Customers don’t buy your offer; they buy their own outcomes/results.  What they are willing to pay for your offer is how strongly they desire results.

Human buying behavior around price is pretty consistent.  Customers:

  1. Compare noticeable differences between options (almost always the top two).
  2. Translate differences into personal and business outcomes. Any outcomes not envisioned are ignored.
  3. Assign value to all outcomes. “Assigning value” can be gut feel, emotional desirability…all the way to a formal analysis of business impacts.
  4. Compare the value of outcomes to the relative prices, and buy according to this calculation

The good news:  This is how customers operate intuitively. It’s no work at all to get a customer to engage in this mental process. Did you ever pay more for gas because a station is easier to get to? How much work went into getting you do decide?

The bad news: contrary to what “rational buyer” economic theory predicts, customers only think as hard as they need to (read those four steps again to see how mental shortcuts could form). It’s not particularly hard to force more detail on their process, it simply takes purposeful selling and marketing effort at the right time.

For established products, salespeople must either walk a prospect through more detail in analysis…or hope that the customer makes perfect value assessments unguided. Hint: they almost never do. I have a secure income helping “established product/service” companies sell at better prices.

For disruptive products, value-building must be even more purposeful. Each customer is walking an unfamiliar path.  They require more detailed guidance all along the way: comprehending novel outcomes, envisioning those outcomes for themselves, belief/confidence in realizing outcomes, valuing outcomes, and more.

Penetration / Skim pricing: a Myth?

The Internet age has introduced us to the idea of buying profitless market share and figuring things out later: penetration pricing is the new false idol of business.

You can — and people do– price disruptive technology for profitable penetration.  The key:  be in a winner-take-most (WTM) market.  Only buy market share in WTM markets….and either have deep pockets or patient money.  Any company bringing a disruptive offer to a normal market is at risk with a penetration pricing strategy.  You’re far more likely to end up as roadkill than as the next Amazon.

As long as your price is less than your value, the idea of charging less to sell more is a myth (the topic of one of my most popular posts ever).  The demand curve you learned in econ class is based upon several unrealistic assumptions – assumptions made so that the math works more easily, not to explain real-world buyer behavior. For one thing, the math assumes little to no differentiation.  In contrast, the whole point of disruption is differentiation.

Pricing Is Profit

Regardless of the price you charge for a piece of business, your production costs don’t change.  That means that an additional price dollar is a bottom-line dollar.  Conversely, every dollar you don’t charge (or discount away) is a profit dollar you just donated to a customer.

Those profit dollars?  You need them for disrupting, innovating, customer education, etc. Whether you do subscription pricing (or its economic cousin, leasing), or whether your offer involves Uber-style distributed asset ownership (or its economic cousin, franchising)…understanding who receives what outcome/value is the key to a successful pricing strategy.

You Can’t Price The Value You Haven’t Built

If your disruptive offer generates value, you need to have a system for causing that value to come into being in the customer’s mind.  In consumer markets, this might come via media-delivered content.  In a complex/consensus B2B environment, the mix will shift to include more human-to-human value-building customer conversations: that’s my thing.

Disruptive Change and Value

Value only exists in a customer’s mind.  Value for something disruptive often involves a little more commercial teaching work — getting a customer to wrap their mind around a novel outcome.  Unless the outcome is unusually intuitive, that takes some sort of value building communication. That value building is rewarded by a higher, value-based price.

I hope this helps.  If you’d like to talk in greater depth, please feel free to reach out. Also, I’d appreciate your liking, commenting, or sharing with your networks, or with colleagues who it might resonate with.

To your success!

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Women In Business

“7 Micro-Expressions You Need To Know – Negotiate Better” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“Reading micro-expressions can help avert crises. But only if your interpretation is accurate.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“7 Micro-Expressions You Need To Know – Negotiate Better”

A pale expression held his face. Holy ‘blank’ was the four-letter word obscenity he uttered. We’re in a full-blown crisis! Dumbfounded, he said, what are we going to do now? We have to negotiate with them! His associate said, let’s meet with our adversaries. We can read their micro-expressions during the meeting to gain insight into their real thoughts and feelings. That’ll allow us to know what’s really on their minds.

Do you know how to read micro-expressions? Do you know what they are? Continue reading, and you’ll be able to answer both of those questions. Plus, you’ll discover how you can use them when you’re in a crisis.

 

Micro-expressions:

Micro-expressions are emotional displays that last for less than a quarter of a second. They reflect the reality of someone’s thoughts at that moment. Hence, if you’re able to interpret someone’s emotional displays accurately, you’ll have insight into their current emotional state. Doing that will give you insight into how they feel about an offer or statement. During a crisis, having this insight gives you real-time information about the direction you should take.

There are seven micro-expressions generic to everyone throughout the world

  • Fear – When detecting genuine fear, look for raised eyebrows, widened eyes, and parted lips with the bottom lip protruding downward.
  • Anger – Anger is denoted by lowered eyebrows and flaring nostrils reminiscent of a bull before charging.
  • Disgust – This micro-expression is displayed by the upper lip turned up, while the nose is wrinkled.
  • Surprise – You’ll recognize surprise through raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and open mouth.
  • Contempt – This gesture appears as a sneer. You’ll note it by one corner of the mouth turned upward.
  • Sadness – Note sadness through drooping eyelids and downturned lips. A change in voice inflection and tonality may also accompany genuine sorrow.
  • Happiness – Happiness is shown through wide-eyes with crow’s feet or wrinkles at their corners, a smile, and raised cheeks. A degree of exuberance may also accompany this gesture.

 

Using Micro-expressions In Crisis Intervention

Knowing someone’s real thoughts allows you to understand their source of motivation – and that’s the benefit of being able to read someone’s expressions.

During a crisis, use the unannounced information you’ve gathered and assess how strong the opposition is. From there, determine the degree of mental or real force to summon. Another plus is the ability to evaluate the commitment that those on the opposing side have to one another. Accordingly, if you can identify those with less alliance, you may be able to separate them from the others. Therefore, you’d be weakening their numerical strength, which may assist in decreasing their overall power.

Once you’ve gathered the mentioned insights, consider different ways to use them to your benefit. As an example, you might:

  • create false scenarios to confuse the other party per the direction they should take
  • align some of your stronger positions with their weaker ones (do this to keep their stronger points at bay) – then you can state that you’re trying your best to meet their needs
  • form a splinter group, consisting of those from your side, theirs, and neutral stakeholders to combat the overall strength of the opposing party – this maneuver is akin to divide and conquer, with the benefit of your team becoming stronger, while their’s become diluted.

 

Feigning Micro-expressions

While genuine micro-expressions give insight into one’s mind, you can fake them. As an example, you can exaggerate contempt by turning one corner of your lip up and allowing it to linger longer than a micro-expression. Even if the other person didn’t initially observe your expression, you could ask if he saw what you’d done. Regardless, you’ll have him on the defense by asking questions and him answering them.

 

Confront With Caution

There’s nothing more daunting than sizing up an adversary and not identifying its true leader. That means you must be hyper-aware of who your real opponent is and the decision-making abilities they have. You’ve heard about the power behind the throne. Even more so during a crisis, that’s who you want to confront. Your rivals may have a shared leadership structure or using a front-person as the face of their team. They’d do that to confuse you.

To identify a power source, observe who might look at whom for confirmation before making or accepting an offer. You can also detect subtle signals per the hesitation in committing that act. That’s where your observance of micro-expressions will lend assistance in identifying a person fronting as one possessing power.

 

Reflection

Being able to identify and interpret micro-expressions accurately will give you an enormous advantage in any situation. During a crisis, having this skill will magnify your power exponentially. So, if you use this ability wisely, you’ll deter and avert more crises … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Expressions #Micro-expressions #crisis #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Are Myths About Supremacy Destroying Your Life” – Negotiation Insight

 

“The myth about supremacy is, it is a myth. Because everyone’s insights add value to the whole, even if their insights detract from the thoughts about the superiority of others.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

 

“Are Myths About Supremacy Destroying Your Life”

 

Don’t allow the supremacy myth to destroy your unrealized opportunities due to the way you think.

We don’t need their input. We’re superior in every way to them – said one associate to the other. So, they entered into a bargaining session with those they assumed were inferior, and became obliterated! Since they went into the situation with a superior mindset, they’d not considered options that might have improved what became their dismal outcome. They didn’t prepare appropriately per thoughts they should have pondered. And that was to their detriment.

Continue reading, and you’ll gather insights to improve your interactions with other people. Because, even if you don’t define yourself as having myths about others, others have them about you. And since everyone is codependent upon each other, ignoring this illusion can prevent future advancements in thinking for you and them. Without that improvement, everyone will advance at a slower pace.

 

Impact of Thoughts

As someone of authority, have you considered how myths impact your life? If your first thought was, I don’t think others are inferior – you should reconsider your belief. Everyone considers himself above others in some cases. You may view the disheveled homeless person, the ticket-taker on the train or those in other environments to be inferior. The point is, recognize your reality for what it is. From that point, you can begin to deal with your version of the myth. That’s important because that myth might be hampering the advancement of your life based on the way you think.

 

The Problem With Supremacy

Thinking you’re superior to others taints your mind. It affirms misconceptions that you possess that may hamper your interactions with others. And that can place you at a disadvantage when you’re trying to sway someone to adopt your position. Worse, you’ll lose time and attrition on aspects that might have otherwise advanced that position.

Always be aware of what you say about the abilities of others. And be more aware of the inner thoughts you possess about such feelings. Because that’s the message you’ll project in the way you act towards them.

 

Identifying Your Fears

Fear may be driving your beliefs about your supremacy. If so, are you aware of what you fear? The point is, you should examine why you hold such views to be truths if you do. Because you’re alienating yourself from those that you may use as allies in a best-case scenario. In a worst-case scenario, you’re turning them into adversaries.

By identifying your source of motivation, you’ll have a point from which to address your supremacy challenges. That will allow you to shift your mind, which will lead to self-improvement and your positioning with others. That means the more open you are to their viewpoints, even if you don’t initially agree with them, the better your chances will be of understanding their perspective. From there, you’ll become more sensitized, which should place you and them on a better road of consideration, which should lead to better outcomes.

 

Reflection

When you’re in any role, leadership, or non-leadership, you must possess top-of-mind awareness of how you view people. If you consider others to be inferior, you’ll attempt to cast that demeanor upon them. Some will resist, and others will fight you for the insult you toss their way. That can dampen your position and make it more challenging to deal with them.

People see the world differently. That’s due to the experiences and environments they’ve encountered. Therefore, if you wish to improve conditions in a situation, consider availing yourself to the thoughts and opinions of those that don’t come from your background, and those that haven’t shared your experiences. Having their added viewpoint will allow you to see conditions from another perspective. It will also open the spectrum of new opportunities. Those will become the opportunities that will increase the chances of improvement for everyone involved … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Supremacy #life #Myths #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Reflection – Negotiation – What Is The Expiration On A Promise” – Negotiation Insight

 

“All promises have expiration dates. Don’t let yours expire without reaping its rewards.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“Reflection – Negotiation – What Is The Expiration On A Promise”

 

… They needed to increase their perception of power. So, they sought an ally to enhance that perception. They made a promise to support that ally’s efforts from that point into the future.

But when a new leader gained power, he abandoned his ally. The ally, upon reflection, realized they were pawns in their former partner’s game. They’d been betrayed and sold out because they no longer had the value they once possessed. Within their ranks, they asked the question, what is the expiration on a promise?

That question is one that you should ponder about every situation. Things constantly change. And thus, parameters formed in one alliance can alter a promise when people form other partnerships. So, if you feel the ground shifting, take note of where it’s flowing. That noted change will signal the possible need to develop new alliances. A promise will only last as long as it serves a purpose. To assess when it may begin to lose its commitment, consider the following.

 

Where you were

Knowing the environment a promise was made in, and the surrounding circumstances that led to its creation will give you a starting point from which to monitor its party’s commitment. Consider who the players were that entered into the alignment that made the promise. And, consider their source of power moving into the future. Making that assessment can serve as a bell-weather that indicates when you should consider forming new alliances. Being blind to such occurrences can leave you in a darkness that’s fraught with danger.

 

Your journey

As you reflect on the dilemma of lost trust, due to broken promises, think of the path that you and your allies have traveled. Consider what might have led or is leading to a separation of support you’ve provided for each other. Partnerships don’t dissolve overnight. There are always pending signs of potential danger. Look for them and heed warning signs on your path. Think about the variables that transpired that you possibly ignored due to circumstances that you didn’t want to consider or those that you intentionally chose to ignore. The purpose of that is to assess the mindset that you and your ally had as you traveled to the place that you now find the relationship. Ask yourself, what can I do now to increase my perceived value? Who might I align with to improve my position? And where might that alignment lead? You need firm footing to escape a slippery slope. Connecting with those that can extend support might be the support required to do just that.

 

Where you are

Now, you’re in a very precarious situation. Your most reliable ally has deserted you. And, you’re left surrounded by your enemies. What do you do? To survive, you must create new alliances. And you have to consider the trust factor. And you must ask, how long might a promise they make last? The answer that echoes back is, now is not the time to worry about that. You’re in survival mode.

If you want to survive, you must do whatever is required to sustain yourself. That may even include making alliances with the devil. Meaning, you may have to stretch very far outside of your comfort zone. But if survival is meaningful to you, you’ll do what it takes to prevent you from being taken by what you do.

 

Reflection

When you find yourself in a less than tenable position, due to broken promises, don’t be Pollyannaish. Look at your dilemma for what it is, not necessarily the way you want it to be. Everything changes. And as they do, they don’t have to leave you in a lurch. You can prevent that from occurring by being aware of shifting alliances and making sure that you’re aligned with powers that will remain powerful. Do that as long as an association serves your needs, and you’ll be less likely to be broken by broken promises … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Promise #Expiration #Reflection #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Negotiator – They Will Fight Back But Will They Conquer” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“To decrease your chances of being conquered, know how others will fight.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

Click here to get the book!

“Negotiator – They Will Fight Back But Will They Conquer”

He realized he’d be entering into a tough situation. In past interactions, verbal fights had broken out within this group. And tensions had frayed. Those frayed tensions led to increasing distrust amongst those discussing the proposed resolution.

Anticipating how someone might respond to an offer or proposal is something that you should always consider. Why? Because it impacts how you and they will interact. Thus, if you’ve had conflicts in the past, and nothing’s been done to address them satisfactorily, more than likely, they’ll fight you in the future.

The following is information you can use to plan, control, and dissuade others from attempting to conquer you. It’s a thought process that every good negotiator considers. And when someone fights to overcome your efforts, it’s insightful information that will arm you to combat them.

 

Planning

 

  • Fight/Flight/Stand Still
    • Before engaging in any forum, assess what occurred in prior encounters with its participating members. That history reflection will provide insights about the developments that might arise in your upcoming meeting with them. It also allows you the time to plan the actions and reactions you’ll promote to enhance your position.

In particular, consider whether you want the next encounter to end in a stalemate (you’re marking time to become stronger), you want the opposition to flee the potential conflict, recognizing your strength is too powerful for them to combat (be mindful of how you cast yourself – this may cause your opponents to seek greater power by building stronger coalitions), you’re going to fight for future positioning or as a means to get closer to its end.

  • Strategy
    • You should develop an approach based on what’s occurred in the past, the outcome that arose from using that plan, how those you engaged during that session reacted, and to what degree new players will enter into the upcoming activities. Taking into account those factors will allow you to shape the tactics you’ll develop to create and employ the best strategy.

 

  • Who are you
    • Another thought to consider is, who are you? That question answers the characteristics you possess. Some people can’t or won’t engage in some activities because it may be outside of their moral bearings. Having insight about your ethical boundaries will help you determine how far you’ll go to seek an outcome that may be crossing a line. Make the same assessment of those that you’ll be meeting.

 

Improvement

 

  • Interactions
    • Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t get what you wanted, and yet you still felt good about the outcome? Even if you haven’t had that experience, that’s the emotional state you want to instill in others that deal with you. Leave them feeling that they walked away with something that they’re proud to have achieved.

The way you accomplish that feeling lies in how you deal with people. In some situations, you don’t want to appear stubborn, dogmatic, or immobile. In the wrong condition, people will detest you. But in the right circumstances, such a demeanor will aid in fostering the persona needed to back those that pose threats away from you. So, be aware of how you project your persona and make sure it matches the outcome you’re seeking. Doing so will prevent future consternation that might impede future progress.

 

  • Framing
    • Framing occurs when you control the narrative of a conversation. And, by framing an interaction in a particular manner, you control the discussion and the flow of the communication.
    • Outcome – No matter the outcome, think about how you’ll frame it so that it appears to be beneficial to your position.
    • Opponents – Think about how you’ll frame the opponents that have engaged you during and after an interaction. You can position them in a positive or negative light, depending on how you wish others to view them. The choice you make should depend on how you want them to interact with you going forward.

 

  • Future Interactions
    • Other players – When considering how you’ll improve future situations, consider who might become aligned with whom. That’ll impact the chances of future success for you and them. There may exist the opportunity to use their alliances to your advantage.

 

Reflections

In answering the question, they will fight back but will they conquer, the answer is, it depends. It depends on the variables that you identify and address that will influence the outcome of a meeting – and how successful you are in developing a plan that accurately addresses those variables. The point is, you’ll have more control of any encounter if you plan for it appropriately. Once you do, you’ll be less likely to be conquered in your engagements … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Fight #Conquer #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Investing Marketing Personal Development Sales

The Time Value of Selling Value

You are probably aware of the time value of money, but did you know that there is also a time value of selling value?

In the finance world, when someone talks about the time value of money, they mean that a dollar received now is worth more than a dollar received in the future.  This is true even when that future dollar is absolutely a sure thing.  The idea is that you could invest today’s dollar and have more money than if you had gotten one dollar in the future.

In the sales world, building value early in your customer’s buying process pays more than building value late.  A customer’s mind is more receptive to placing value on a solution before they have started on the price justification/negotiation stage of their buying process.  The time value of selling value holds true even if your solution is not fully defined, as long as an outcome they will achieve is.

Let’s unpack this by looking at how value builds in the customer’s mind.

Value is About Differentiated Outcomes

Customers don’t buy your product or service.  They buy outcomes.  Customers buy for their own reasons, not necessarily the ones you gave them to buy.

Every purchase decision depends upon a customer connecting an offer to an outcome they desire. No outcome, sale.

There are four kinds of outcomes, illustrated below:  Outcomes are either negative (pain) or positive (opportunities).  There are known/expected outcomes and those a customer hasn’t envisioned yet (but which a trusted advisor might open their eyes to). The old sales training advice about “uncovering pain points” covers only one of the four quadrants above (top left). Think of all the potential value you miss when all your salespeople do is go after this low-hanging fruit.   As bad as that sounds, it gets worse.  This quadrant is where all of your competitors swarm.  Differentiation is often minimal here.  When all competitors look the same, guess what the customer’s decision comes down to (spoiler alert: it involves getting ground down mercilessly on price).

Value is About Expected Outcomes

Also, customers don’t buy “you” (I get the value of credibility, but if your offer doesn’t accomplish anything for a customer, it doesn’t matter how much they “know, like, and trust” you).  Customers buy an expected result.  Thus, “expected” is where your credibility comes in.  Value, therefore, grows as faith in an outcome grows. Personal credibility and proof documentation helps builds belief/faith in an outcome…no more, no less.

Value also grows as the picture of that outcome becomes more clear and detailed — in the customer’s mind. Contrary to what “rational model” economic theory predicts, real customers don’t automatically hear an outcome described and engage in detailed self-analysis of all financial impacts of any individual outcome…much less all of the outcomes available.  Accomplished value sellers help prospects build detailed mental pictures…envisioning themselves achieving outcomes and follow-on outcomes. Some trainers call this “selling beyond the sale”.  Telling stories is a great way to kickstart this process, but personalization should follow.

Value, by Definition, is Desirability of Expected Outcomes

After envisioning comes evaluating the desirability of outcomes. Desire is good.  Strong desire is better.  Desire one can justify to one’s peers in a complex sale is…power.  Specifically, it’s pricing power.

Elite selling involves guiding a customer through a process of measuring the desire for an outcome monetarily.  Once desirability is measured in dollars, euros, yen, etc., value comes into full form.  You and your customer can confidently discuss price against a known, quantified value. Discounting is less frequent. More importantly, your price exception/discounting process becomes more disciplined and objective.

Timing is Everything in Selling Value

Selling value is the art of building a detailed, monetized picture of outcomes in each prospect’s mind.  Let’s look at the components of value-building at different stages in the customer’s buying process (aka the customer journey).

  • Imagine building credibility near the beginning of the customer’s buying journey.  Now imagine trying to build it late.
  • Imagine helping them envision unexpected outcomes early.  Now imagine trying to do it while they are comparing proposals against each other.
  • Imagine showing proof of an outcome early…versus doing it to combat discounting pressure.
  • Imagine asking them to envision all of the follow-on/related results early…versus late.
  • Imagine talking to a customer about the annual cost impact of some challenges they are experiencing. What does that feel like to a customer during discovery…and what does it feel like if you start exploring it during price negotiations?

How many opportunities in your funnel right now are you feeling worse about? Did this just make you second-guess your forecast?  If we could get your salespeople to build value early, what do you think would happen to 1) probability of winning 2) need to discount?

The graph above illustrates that the opportunity to build value for your offer has pretty much passed right when customers start comparing offers and negotiating price.

Can you see why there is a time value to selling value?

Good News/Bad News

Ask your salespeople “what value does this customer see in our solution” as a sales coaching question. If your salespeople can articulate detailed value, they’ve covered all the steps above really well.  In fact, you can probably enter a highly accurate forecast for that opportunity by looking at the total customer value versus your price.

It the salesperson can’t articulate clear value, they either haven’t sold value or your offer doesn’t have any (to that customer in that opportunity).  In the former case, some high-impact coaching might rescue the deal if it’s early enough. In either case, a low-to-lost deal forecast might be the right course of action.

Want to talk about how to apply these principles in your sales team?  Contact me.  Also, feel free to like, share, or comment below.

To your success!

Categories
Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Operations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Maintain Power In The Face Of Threats” – Negotiation Insight

“Threats can be disruptive. But unchecked threats that challenge power usually leads to destruction. -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Maintain Power In The Face Of Threats”

 

The leaders that preceded him always supported their allies. And his allies thought he’d continue that support. Then, it occurred – the opportunity to come to their aid. But he was a different type of leader. He cared more about his well-being than that of his allies. So, he abandoned them. He did that to maintain power while a secret source threatened him.

Everyone has a degree of authority. And that authority is a source of power. So, if you want to maintain yours, consider the following.

Verbal Attacks

Sometimes, non-physical attacks work – especially in the face of threats. Thus, attacks don’t have to be physical. They can be verbal, serving as a warning of the foreboding to come unless current threatening actions cease. And, over a long period, they can shape future activities, anticipation, and mindset of those whom you convey your sentiments. So, when you consider how you’ll extend and maintain power, think about how you might use even the threat of an attack, physical or non-physical, to bolster your position.

Moving Goalposts

When confronting threats, another strategy to consider is moving the goalposts. That means, when those you’re facing get closer to a goal, move it. Do that by changing the parameters that were previously set.

You can use this tactic against those that form less of a threat but with whom you wished to maintain control. You’d implement this strategy to keep the object of your actions aligned with you, but have them guessing at what you might require next. If overused, that tactic can also introduce and ignite anger. So, be careful of how and when you utilize it.

You can also implement this strategy by assembling multiple goals and allowing your associates to choose the ones to address. Later, for reasons you create, you can state that they have to alter their course and discuss new goals. You’d use this approach to buy time or to frustrate the progress they were making that was out of alignment with your goals. Either way, you’ll maintain power, while others are chasing the altering goals that you created.

Using Surrogates

Power is real to the degree it’s perceived, and how it’s adhered to by others. Thus, if someone recognizes you as being in control, in their eyes, you’re powerful. Therefore, another way to project power is to disallow others from engaging you. You’d forbid them access to you, be it in person or via any form of communication. Instead, you should have such individuals communicate through your surrogates. You want to maintain distance between you and them. That buffer allows you to remain somewhat aloof while giving you time to consider responses to potentially threatening situations. Then, when you enter into communications with them, you’ll have the opportunity to control the situation better. Your presence will suggest that something bigger is occurring.

Your Will

When considering threats to power, some people become tyrannical to protect it. They will lie, cheat, and steal to maintain control. Others will acquiesce to threats. Thus, not only should you be aware of the personality type that you’re dealing with, having that insight will help you shape your response to the threats of others.

  • Tyrants – This individual type may have a relationship with power, new or long-established, that allows him to feel special. He rides on the clouds of accolades. And his ego is pacified while being affirmed that he exalts over his followers. It can be challenging to deal with this personality type. When confronting someone possessing this characteristic, no his sources of power, and know yours. You may have to call on your power sources to prepare it to battle on your behalf. You should also be prepared to employ dirty tricks to combat his forces if you deem it necessary.

 

  • Acquiesce – Dealing with someone that acquiesces can be tricky. The trickiness lies in the speed of his actions. If he nibbles at your power, he may do so to test the possibilities for success. Thus, he will not be as bold nor engage in the tactics a tyrant would use. Nevertheless, depending on the backers of this individual, he may become emboldened to threaten your authority because he’s being egged on by others. Keep this in mind and account for it when dealing with this type of person.

Reflection

Power is fluid. And it’s ever-changing. Therefore, if you want to maintain control, you must be aware of what might alter its flow. And, you must be prepared to combat those that would take it away. To do anything other will empower others. And for them … everything will be right with the world – but not for you.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

# threat #Power #face #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Personal Development Sales

3 Must-Follow Tips for Start-up Producers

Despite how much you love your product and how much you know that everybody else will too, you still need to master these fundamentals in order to thrive.

1. Cash Flow Management

Get paid faster by how you sell. Extend credit by how you pay. Lower costs by how you buy. Consider these suggestions:

  • Treat your vendors the same way you treat your customers: They can extend credit and cut costs. Sell them on your mission and your brand’s future. Make them strategically—when you grow, so do they. If you think you won’t be able to pay, give them a payment plan in advance. They have bills to pay, too, and they’ll appreciate that you care.
  • Whenever possible, buy in quantity with terms: Your supplier’s goods have much more value as a receivable from you than they do sitting in a warehouse with no buyer. If you create your goods on an as-needed basis, your supplier might be able to hold your purchase until you need it.
  • Offer discounts to any buyer that purchases in large quantities and pays upon delivery: In general, retailers sell big when they buy big. Selling quickly creates more space in their warehouse. Then, they’re more likely to provide it at a discount. This gives the retailer (and ultimately, you) more customers. And it gives you your money before bills are due!

2. Channel Distribution Management

If your product will eventually be sold by a retailer, it must go through distribution channels. Each part of this system purchases your product for different reasons. Here are just a few:

  • Brokers or salespeople buy it for commission: They visualize how they can sell their customers, jobbers, chain stores, or distributors. They see the benefits. They know it’s a winner for them, and they’ll put in the extra effort.
  • Distributors buy it because it fills a gap in their current offerings: If your product fulfills a market segment they’re looking to sell to, or if one of their larger buyers wants to purchase it, they will want this exclusivity in their territory.
  • The public purchases it because it’s in stock and at a great value. If it isn’t in stock, they’ll choose something else: Keeping a product in stock is the greatest challenge for any start-up with a great product.

3. HR Management

You’re in the Human Resource Management business no matter what you’re selling. Your staff members are your greatest assets. They represent your product and your brand. Maintain your crucial buyer and vendor relationships and reduce turnover within your company by considering the following:

  • Make sure your staff knows exactly where their paychecks come from: Their check doesn’t come from you—it comes from the customer and everybody else involved in the process. Create a graph that shows how their paycheck flows from the customer to them with all steps in between.
  • Employees will do what they’re paid for: A start-up that’s strapped for cash can’t afford to pay just for attendance. Performers can’t afford to leave, and non-performers can’t afford to stay.
  • Once you find your top performers, learn about what they like to do and reorganize your company so they can excel: Orientation and mentoring are just the beginning! Your people need to be convinced that you really do have their best interests at heart. Acknowledge them publicly on a job well done, and they will be motivated to stay loyal.

For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/