From scoping out leads to closing deals, every stage of the sales process requires some level of negotiation. For fledgling businesses, learning the ropes of negotiation can improve sales and help your business take off faster. Here are some top-notch tips for growing your startup business.
1. Prepare well
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Take the time to prepare and lay a solid foundation for growing your sales. With adequate preparation, you increase your chances of building a stronger business.
As experts at negotiations.com will often advise, it’s wise to approach every aspect of the sales process as a negotiation.
This means you have to be prepared to negotiate from the moment you start prospecting through lead nurturing and up until you close deals. Some of the steps you can take include:
- Understand your goals. Set Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-Based (SMART) goals to keep your business moving forward. Also, learn what actions you need to take to achieve these goals and commit to them.
- Research. Know your competitors and how they work, what strategies they use and how your business compares. Also, research your customer. It helps to know as much as you can about who you’re selling to, including their negotiating style and cultural differences, to avoid butting heads over every detail.
- Be clear about your expectations. Don’t be vague to avoid confusion or conflict in the future. It helps to anticipate your buyer’s expectations as well.
2. Clearly define your marketing strategy
One of the chief sales negotiation strategies is using persuasion to get people on board with your product or service.
A concrete, a well-structured marketing plan can earn the trust of your buyers and persuade them to buy from you. In contrast, without a set marketing agenda, you will likely find it harder to keep your marketing efforts in sync.
For instance, if you don’t map your strategy, your brand identity may be difficult to visualize. Your colors, tone, and brand story may appear different from one channel to another, confusing buyers.
Consider taking classes to help you figure out how to bring your different programs together to help your marketing flow seamlessly.
Also, remember that the probability of making headway will be slim if you’re sending your message to the wrong audience. So, it helps to focus your resources on the marketing channels and platforms where your target market group hangs out.
With a more streamlined marketing strategy, you can create a strong campaign that works to persuade buyers.
3. Handle objections with prowess
It’s common for customers to raise some objections to the product or service you’re selling. However, it’s important to remember that objections don’t spell the end of the road for the sale. What usually sets winners apart is how they deal with those objections to win the customer back.
Dealing with objections typically involves getting to the root cause of the objection. Once you pinpoint the issue, you can start negotiating with the buyer to help them see beyond the hurdle. For instance, if the buyer objects to the sale because the price is beyond their reach, you can find a way to lower the cost for them by creating a custom package. In this way, the buyer can afford to purchase your product and you still make a sale.
Remember to avoid jumping to conclusions about the buyer’s objections, else you risk making a wrong move like offering an unnecessarily high discount. You can find ways of helping the customer overcome the objection by:
- Getting to the bottom of the objection.
- Showing the buyer that you want to help.
- Working with the buyer to find an outcome that serves both sides well.
4. Seek customer feedback
The best sales classes teach how important it is to stay on your toes at each stage of the sales process – and evaluate your options as you go. Similarly, when it comes to selling, it helps to stay in the know about your customers’ views.
When you’re clued up on what your customers are thinking, you avoid relying on assumptions and can make more informed decisions about how to improve your product or service and attract more business.
Consider using different methods like surveys to get to grips with customer feedback. Social media is also an important tool to engage with your customers and get insights on how you can do better. When you stay within earshot of your customers, it’s easier to review your efforts as you go. That way, you’ll be able to quickly drop any strategy that isn’t bringing returns.
5. Master communication techniques
The central part of the sales process involves knowing how to communicate effectively. Like most experts say in classes on negotiation, the way you handle communications with customers is one of the most decisive factors for whether your business goes stratospheric or fails to even get off the ground.
In light of the importance of communication, it pays to focus on enhancing the way you interact with potential customers at any stage in the sales funnel.
Here are some of the techniques for more impactful communication with your buyers:
- Always maintain a pleasant and friendly tone. When reaching out to prospects and following up on leads, remember that customers tend to respond better to warm conversation. In turn, this is useful for building trust between you and your buyers.
- Pay attention to what they are selling. When there are many other things on your to-do list still to get through, it’s understandable that your mind may wander during your communication with a buyer. But a buyer knows if they don’t have your full attention, and this may put them off your business.
- Hone your active listening skills. When you set your sights on listening to your customers, you can better understand their needs. Knowing what your customers want and need enables you to fine-tune every interaction. That way, you can show the customer how your business outshines competitors in meeting their needs.
Growing your startup business
You can get your business off the ground faster with some negotiation techniques like solid communication, handling objections, persuasion, and listening to feedback. Plus, when you’re thoroughly prepared, your business is more likely to reach the top.
