The document outlines 13 strategies to avoid unnecessary discounts during sales negotiations, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and focusing on value. Key tactics include thorough planning, identifying shared interests, and knowing when to walk away from negotiations. By applying these principles, sales representatives can enhance their negotiation effectiveness and protect profit margins.

1. 13
Secrets To Avoid
DISCOUNTING
During Sales Negotiations

2. Sales people often give discounts to win
business without understanding the
impact on bottom line

3. This can destroy profit
margins when typically
not necessary to close
the business

4. Price becomes important to the
customer when they believe all
the options are the same

5. Understanding the customers needs
and having a better solution will win
over the lowest price option

6. 13 Tactics to Improve
the Value of Your Deals

7. 1. PLAN: Planning is the single most important aspect of
successful negotiating

8. 2. PROBE: Interests can often be satisfied in multiple ways
that don’t involve discounting

9. 3. NEGOTIATE ON VALUE: Be prepared to communicate
the tangible worth to the customer

10. 4. PRE-SELL: Pre-sell vertically and horizontally within the
organization to build support at multiple levels

11. 5. POWER: Find out where your power lies
with this deal

12. 6. COMPARED TO WHAT: Do your homework and position
your solution to highlight your strengths

13. 7. SHARED INTERESTS: The customer is at the table because
they have something to gain from buying from you

14. 8. OPTIONS: The more options there are to consider, the
better chances of coming to a mutually beneficial outcome

15. 9. TRADE: Unless you know the cost of the trades you’re
making, you can give away more than you realize

16. 10. SEQUENCE: Hold back on certain offers and
trade-offs until later in the negotiation

17. 11. WALK AWAY POSITION:
Know those issues you aren’t willing to negotiate and at what
point it isn’t worth it for you to continue

18. 12. TACTICS: Use appropriate tactics and
countermeasures to advance your positions

19. 13. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY:
Getting defensive or adversarial will only serve to
increase distance between the two parties

20. With an understanding of
negotiation principles and
thoughtful planning...

21. Sales Reps can negotiate based
on value instead of on price

22. Learn How to Motivate
Your Team for Training
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23. By Ray Makela
@RayAMakela