Negotiating with Tough Customers: Never Take 'No!' for a Final Answer and Other Tactics to Win at the Bargaining Table

Negotiation is the middle ground between capitulation and stonewalling, a back-and-forth between two parties trying to reach agreement. If a price or other term is non-negotiable, there is no give and take, just “take it or leave it.” You may think you are negotiating, but if the other side isn’t playing, you aren’t either.

Regardless of the industry, situation, or product, the two most common mistakes negotiators make are:

1. they give ground too easily, and;
2. they get nothing in return.

When dealing with tough customers it is even more important to be able to defend your position and bargain for reciprocal concessions. Negotiating With Tough Customers provides proven methods for holding your ground against (seemingly) more powerful negotiators. But it goes further, making sure that when you do give ground, you get equal or better value in return.

Using a cooperative, collaborative approach in a hardball negotiation just doesn’t work. Tough negotiators will play win-win, but only if they have nothing to lose.

Negotiating With Tough Customers will make you a better salesperson by making you a better negotiator...and vice versa.

About the Author

Steve Reilly has helped heavy equipment companies negotiate the sale of mining trucks, technology companies negotiate intellectual property rights, health insurers negotiate hospital contracts, and financial services companies negotiate wealth transfer strategies. His experience as a sales rep, sales manager, and director of sales and marketing, together with 20 years consulting in the areas of negotiation, sales, and leadership, provide him with a foundation in industry that is second to none. More than 4,000 people have attended his Value Based Negotiation Workshop. Steve consults with Caterpillar, United HealthCare, and other Fortune 100 companies, helping them improve the profitability of their deals.