Saturday, May 30, 2009

Sales Negotiation Skills 101

So what are you calling yourself these days? What's your title on your card? Can I recommend something that will be THE BEST advice that you'll EVER receive? Regardless of what you're calling yourself, regardless of your title, YOU ARE IN SALES.

How's that feeling to you? Are you starting to hyper ventilate? It's okay...I'll wait while you get a brown paper bag--breathe deeply! What I'm telling you is the absolute truth! If you don't think that it's your responsibility to:

1. Sell yourself
2. Sell your ideas
3. Sell your company
4. Sell your products/services

All I'm asking you to do is rethink it! Remember the "magic eye" books? You know, when you'd open a book and the picture would be all gumbily gook and you'd put your nose to it and then slowly pull the book away? Wella--and you could magically see the picture? That's what this concept might feel like to you now--a bunch of gumbily gook. But I'm telling you, sit with it. Slowly consider. I promise the "real picture" will appear.

The problem is that most of us (especially women) have a distorted image of what a salesperson is. We imagine someone in a blue plaid polyester suit who somehow puts us under a spell and gets us to purchase that which we do not want. It's crazy. A true salesperson is an extraordinary listener. And here's the thing...hearing is innate, God willing. LISTENING is a practiced skill! Within proactive listening, your concern should be about posturing (that means that you are FACING the person with no obstacles--like a remote between you and them), comprehension, and validation. And here's how you'll know when you've got it down. LISTEN AS THOUGH THERE'S GOING TO BE A TEST! Seriously, this one little habit will increase your effectiveness personally AND professionally.

Do you think it'd make a difference if people saw you as an extraordinary listener? Might it change how your customer or client views you? How about in your most intimate personal relationships.

Humor me...give it a try...15 minutes everyday--for a month. And here's another catch--when you are practicing proactive listening, if you start thinking about what's for lunch or who's going to pick up the dry cleaning, that's a FOUL and your 15 minutes has to start over. This is UNBELIEVABLE HARD, you'll see. But once you've practiced and you can do a full 15 minutes, add to your time. Then, when you think you're an "Olympian at listening," here's what you're going to do next...LISTEN TO SOMEONE THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE! Why would I ask you to do that? Well, just as there are difficult people for you, YOU are a difficult person for someone else. Hard to believe, I know. However would you not appreciate the person that is listening to you invest in proactive listening when YOU are the one doing the talking? I suspect the answer is yes.

Give it a try. Fifteen minutes. Everyday. One month. Let me know how you do, will you? I'll be anxious to hear from you--www.maureenobrienspeaks.com.

To your continued success and significance!




For more information on sales negotiation skills go to http://maureenobrienspeaks.com