Advanced negotiation

Hey, it’s Harry. Bringin’ you presents you didn’t even know you wanted. Just like Oprah.

Today’s about negotiation.

Yes, it’ll help you make more money. Yes, it’ll up your communication game.

This has been tried and tested to deal sizes up to 7 figures. Not sure if it’ll work for deals higher than that - but it’ll work for everything below.

Use it, plagarise it, share it with your team and do what you need to do to get the best outcome for YOUR HARD WORK.

Just one ask before we start – share your wins with me, I want to hear them.

Oh and by the way, Oprah was an INCREDIBLE negotiator.

Step 0

Spend more time than you think is reasonable on research. You’ll see why, soon.

Step 1

Repeat their problem back to them BUT make it clearer than they did.

Use categories.

Lots of times a client will go off the cuff when explaining their issues. They’ll repeat themselves, generalise, add emotion, and try to string sentences together on the spot. In other words – it’s not always clear.

So, an ‘easy’ way you can explain their problems back to them is through categorising.

Like this:

“So, it sounds like [problem 1] is the PRIMARY thing we need to solve, [problem 2] is SECONDARY, but needs to get done too. Everything else is a bonus.

Is that right?” 

What you need: A book & a pen. Don’t think you don’t need it – this is your secret weapon. Take notes when the client is explaining the problem, and sort everything into buckets as they’re explaining it. Easy.

Pay close attention to the emotions and tone of voice. They might feel like a specific part (that you thought didn’t matter) really matters. It matters to them, so it should matter to you.

Use a <3 symbol next to the point where they were particularly pissed. Don’t count on your brain to remember, it’s unreliable. 

Trust me, when you show someone your thinking is clearer than their’s ABOUT THEIR PROBLEM, you’ve earned their trust. Suddenly, they feel like you know your sh*t.

Step 2

Talk about the time you’ve spent preparing for this catch up, and show proof.

But CAREFULLY.

Cause it’s not about you, it’s about them.

Here’s how I do it:

“I’ve spent more time on the internet researching this than most people do when they’re about to have a baby” (yes, I’ve actually said this).

“Your competitors are:

- Competitor 1

- Competitor 2

Your product is _______

[Any other research about their company you think is worth sharing.]

[pause & let them chip in]

“Am I on the right track?”

Have a bit of a discussion. Let them correct you if that does happen. WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY SAY.

Avoid using the words ‘seem’ and ‘look like’. Be confident.

There’s a difference between saying ‘your competitors seem to be’ and ‘your competitors are’. Be confident in your research.

 Step 3 – PRICE

In your mind, you have a price that makes you nervous. Obviously, you’ve done your research, but you have to push. You’re not mediocre, so don’t aim for a price that everyone else charges. Charge the most, or do it for free. Don’t aim for in-between.

Now for the important bit.

Give the client a range that starts higher than your ‘nervous’ price.  

Say, you thought $950 is a lot of money. Give the client a range starting ABOVE $951.

Why not a specific price?

Because even with all your research, even with all your experience, there’s no way you’ve come up with an exact price that’s perfect for everyone.

You want to give the client a choice.

Let them pick what they pay you – GIVE them control.

And one more thing – DO NOT make the price whole numbers.

Don’t say “I’ve come to a price between $1,000 and $1,250.”

Why? Because life’s not clear cut. Life has a few decimals and weird numbers. Use them.

Say: “I’ve come to a price between $1,023 and $1,251”.

NOW, it looks like you’ve thought about it properly and you’re not making things up.

 Step 4 – STOP Talking

Stop talking. When you do, the client’s gonna pick a price between the range you provided, and they’ll pick something that’s a whole number.

So, for something like $1,037 & $1,253, they could pick $1,100 or $1,200.

Try it and see.

And if you followed step 3 and put the range ABOVE your ‘nervous’ level, you win. Any price within the range will be more than the price you wanted.

So take it.

Don’t go back and forth – accept what the client says and let them take the win.

Step 5 – End on the right note!

Don’t end the conversation.

You’ve forgotten one thing – the timeline. How long it’ll take, what you need from the client and how fast you’re gonna get things done for them.

Dive into the details.

You DO NOT want the client walking away thinking “that’s going to cost me $____”.

Your goal now is to end the conversation NOT focused on the price. The client leaves thinking about implementation, not cost. They leave thinking ‘wow, this guy/gal knows their sh*t. This is gonna be awesome.’

Every client is special, so do your research and prep.

Don’t go in half-arsed – even if you’re backed by a great brand. It’s not about you. 

If ANY of this helps, please share with your teams, colleagues, friends, pets, and relatives.

Have a great week.

Harry

P.S. I write A LOT. Subscribe here if you’d like to learn with me.

P.P.S. This is what I’ve been reading and it’s currently blowing my mind. It’s for those of you interested in building wealth.