More effective negotiating from Bill Doherty

Manchester Junior Chamber of Commerce ran a fantastic seminar this week.

Entitled “Effective Negotiating” the presentation was given by Bill Doherty of Persuasion. He gave some fantastic insights on how to get the most out of sales and negotiating.

I feel we only touched on his knowledge but it kept the audience gripped for more than an hour and a half.

So here are some techniques to consider when you have that important pitch or contract talks:

Decide you entry price, exit price and cannot agree point before entering the room

Start big on price then go smaller

If you present yourself as an expert price disappears from the negotiations as the driving force

Body language is key! We have all heard that the majority of communication is through body language, but there are dos and don’ts:

Never touch your body during negotiations
Never put your hands together
Turn out palms outwards
Stand on the right of the person you are negotiating with
Be interested: eye contact vital

Glancing to the left indicates truth and to the right lies

Formal dress will be taken more seriously, even if you are in a creative industry- in fact it is three times more effective in terms of the attention you will be paid (I trust Bill has some statistical evidence for this)

A clean desk is also advisable.

There are three types of negotiator: visuals (60%), auditory (30%) and Feeling (10%) and this changes the nature of the dynamic.

There are seven decision patterns that can be predicted before you enter the room. So the majority of CEOs “want the facts.” If you can show a quantitative return on investment you have a real chance of winning the business. So, if you know the position of the negotiating partner you have a chance to present the right pitch.

Bill has written about his experiences and can be contacted should you wish to find out more: it should be worth the expense