Consultative Sales-Marketing Blog

In the April 2012 article on negotiating we discussed having a ‘roadmap’ in your mind about what the next steps in a buy/sell cycle should/could be after an initial 45 minute to 1 hour conversation with a key buyer at a prospect company. Our recommendation for a next step as we discussed last month is to gain agreement that the buyer has a “VISION” of a solution and wants to continue to evaluate your company and that you want to document this conversation in a letter and suggest some next steps.

This may be best illustrated by telling you a brief story about a real opportunity I worked on in the past. Continue reading “Step 4 – Successfully negotiating the first few steps in the buy/sell cycle – Negotiating to a win/win in B2B Sales”

This month’s article is about gaining agreement on what the next steps would be after a 45-60 minute meeting has occurred between you and a buyer. Remember, in all of these steps we’ll be discussing, use the concepts of ‘quid pro quo’ and ABC (Always be closing – for the next step!).

A reminder to the readers! This is a buy/sell cycle which is considered a complex sale. That means that more than one buyer will be involved in making a decision to buy from your company. The strategy and tactics we are pursuing in these articles is HOW to successfully work with a company that will ask multiple key buyers to be involved in making a buying decision. Our negotiating strategies and tactics are designed to include ALL relevant buyers in the buying process.

Continue reading “Step 3 – Gain Agreement on a Summary Letter and a meeting to discuss it – Negotiating to a win/win in B2B Sales”

As we discussed in the article in August 2011, “Negotiating to a win/win in B2B”, we will be providing some ‘HOW TO’ thoughts for the nine steps mentioned in that article.

This month’s article is about gaining agreement on what the next steps would be after an initial conversation has occurred. Remember, in all of these steps we’ll be discussing, use the concepts of ‘quid pro quo’ and ABC (Always be closing – for the next step!). Continue reading “Step 2 – Gain Agreement on Next Steps – Negotiating to a win/win in B2B Sales”

As I discussed in the article in August 2011, “Negotiating to a win/win in B2B”, I will be providing some ‘HOW TO’ thoughts for the nine steps mentioned in that article.

This month’s article is about negotiating the first ‘substantive’ telephone or in person meeting with a curious or interested buyer. The first of 9 steps in our ABC’s, always be closing, for the next tep.

Continue reading “Step 1 is the Initial Meeting – Negotiating a Win/Win in B2B Sales”

If you search “negotiating” in Google, there are over 52 million possible items to read.  Next, enter “The art of negotiating in business to business sales”, and there are still ~5 million items.

What’s the point!? You can spin your head when trying to understand strategy and tactics to negotiating in a business to business situation.

This is the first in a series of articles on negotiating at the beginning, throughout a buying cycle and the end of a buy/sell cycle. Before reading this article and future articles it is worth reviewing the definition of negotiating and negotiating to a win-win. Continue reading “Negotiating a Win-Win in B2B Sales – The 9 Main Steps”