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In Sales training programmes, negotiation skills are often missed altogether. You could say that the underlying reason most of us feel the need to negotiate with anyone else is so that we can find a way to get what we want. Being human, most of us believe that our point of view is important and that everyone else should at least consider seeing things our way. If you had no desires or requirements, there would be little reason for you to enter in into negotiations with anyone.

If sales courses don't always teach influencing skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your recommendations?

Believe it or not, there is a science supported by more than 60 years of research that has evolved our knowledge of the use of persuasion to meet our needs and wants in sales negotiation. The world's foremost expert on the science of influence, Dr Robert Cialdini, has identified 6 principles of persuasive communication in his studies:

Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof

Whilst influence will always be an art, it is incredibly helpful to use the power of the 6 principles identified by science to maximise your chances of convincing others to give you what you really want.

Let's start by looking at what is believed to be the most important principle from a negotiation point of view - reciprocation.

Reciprocation means that we return to others the form of behaviour that they exhibit towards us. If you have helped me, then I should help you. If you invite me to your birthday party, then I should invite you to my birthday party. If you make a concession to me, then I should make a concession to you.

So what does this mean to you and how can you employ it to get what you would like?

Here's how:

Ensure that when you negotiate you ask for a little more than you would be happy to receive.

Let's say you are trying to sell a widget and you are planning to obtain $ 100 for the widget.

If you would like to deploy the principle of reciprocation, then you should start by requesting a little more - let's say by asking for $ 105.

If your counterparty does not agree to paying you $ 105 for the widget, then you are able to offer a concession by reducing your price to $ 100 in exchange for your counterparty also making a concession to you. A concession that your counterparty could make in this case could be to pay you immediately on the spot or to pay for shipping etc.

The key is for you to offer the concession - don't wait for your counterparty to make a concession. Just make sure that you use the word 'if' when you offer your concession:

"If you are prepared to hand over the cash right now, then I could reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are willing to be flexible and you will now significantly increase the likeliness of them also being flexible and offering a concession in return.

Just be sure to use this principle 'in the moment' whilst you are negotiating. If you walked away from a negotiation to reconsider your proposal, your counterparty will be more likely to regard your revised offer as a new proposal, not as a concession.

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