BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL career coach Top 10 Ways To Negotiate A Good Deal 1, 1 ecently, a client called me with a dilemma; some of his sales people had been having trouble closing transactions and he needed some assistance helping them improve their negotiating skills. R I met with some of the sales staff and immedi- ately realized the chal- lenge ahead of this com- pany. The staff had lost its focus. They were not pay- ing attention to the basic 142 SOUTH OLD WOODWARD AVENUE -• BIRMINGHAM - 248.647.4555 24545 WEST 12 MILE ROAD - SOUTHFIELD - 248.948.9100 rules of negotiating a sale of any kind. Instead, they were caught up in nega- 6635 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD - WEST BLOOMFIELD - 248.855.0300 CIGAR BAR • MON-WED I0 THURS-SAT IOAM-I:30AM SUN I2PM-I2AM NIV\ITW.CHURCHILLSLTD.COM 1579760 tive gloom-and-doom talk about the economy and it was bring- ing everyone down. As a result, they stopped look- ing for new opportunities and nixed potential deals that could have come to fruition. When they had opportu- nities to sell, they were making big Can't get to first base with the big mortgage franchises? , . Don't get hit by a curve ball. 30201 Orchard Lake Rd, Ste. 165 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 737-0300 21211 Haggerty Rd. Novi, MI 48375 (248) 380-6590 lf) 1581660 details with someone who needs to get approval first from someone else. • Do not accept a proposal immedi- 32 11 /11 who come into the process late. You should only do business with people who want to be at the table with you. Perhaps being late, missing deadlines, etc., is someone's way of botching the deal. • If there is benefit to all parties overheard by nosy outsiders. • Allow the other side to talk first. The first offer might be better than you had anticipated. on a level playing field. Only negoti- ate with decision makers. You don't want to be in a room working out 28345 Beck Rd, Ste. 102 Wixom, MI 48393 (248) 468-0205 gle room in any contract, in any negotiation. • Be cautious of those company, like many others, needed a "back to basics" lesson on the art of negotiating. while others have a simple desire to be liked, respected or are greedy. • Make sure you are negotiating www.levelonebank.com stone. Everything has a price. Assume there is wig- matters. Negotiate all matters in a private setting where you cannot be players before you begin negotiating. Some of us are motivated by fear, Take Your Banking to a Whole New LEVEL. a good deal. It has to be right for you. • Everything is nego- tiable. Do not ever believe that the last offer is cut in Sales started to plunge; they needed a big wake-up call. This involved in the negotiating session. Information is a powerful tool, and far more reliable than instincts. Rehearse. • Know what motivates the other LEVEL ONE Bank® sales contract or anything else just because it can be done or it seems to be involved in any business transaction, a deal can always be made. • Be discreet. Starbucks is not the place to discuss your business any meeting. Do your homework. Research every person who is CO not seem right. You don't have to get involved in a business venture, mistakes like accepting offers imme- diately, whether or not the company could make any profits. Here is my Top 10 list to negotiate your way to a good deal: • Always be prepared before Call Matt at 248-737-3152 for a mortgage solution from your Home Team. how much you trust the person on the other end of the negotiating table. • It is okay to say no if yes does ately; take it home with you and read it, then read it again and then run it by someone else. Do this no matter how good a deal sounds, no matter In the end, we all want to negoti- ate with someone who will say yes to whatever we are asking for: a raise from the boss, a contract for work or an order for a product line. We negoti- ate to persuade the other person to agree to what we want, on our terms. It doesn't always work out the way we want because we are all moti- vated by different things; however, if you brush up on your negotiating techniques, and you play fair and you treat people nicely in the pro- cess, you are more likely to get the big win. If you get stuck, seek out- side help from a professional media- tor, litigation attorney or business coach. Robert Sher, CPA, is a certified executive coach. He is former CFO for Schostak Brothers & Company, Livonia. His e-mail address is: info@bobshercom.