How can you negotiate more effectively as an account manager?

Focus on customers need and your value proposition and rest will fall in its place. If you are negotiating on price, that means the value of your solution is not understood or appreciated.

I agree with most of the comments people have made on this post, so I’m not going to reiterate some of the same points over again. What I will say however, in general, unless you have the ability where you’re actually able to get up from the table and walk away from a deal, you’re not really in a good point to be able to negotiate a deal. Otherwise, you’re kind of held hostage to the negotiation process in a place of fear of losing the sale.

Its important to understand what a "Win" looks like for yourself. Once you know this you can park it and focus on finding out what a "Win" is for the person at the other side of the negotiating table, which is way more important in order to get a deal over the line.

As the great Stephen R. Covey puts it "begin with the end in mind" to be able to steer through the complex process of closing the deals in negotiation. The best practice in my experience and opinion is to aim for the end-game where both parties walk away as winners, the win-win approach. This approach gives a solid foundation on which not only the short term goals and objectives are achieved but also a lot of doors open down the lane. However, the pitfall many professional fall into is to give away more than what is needed, due to internal pressures or not knowing exact negotiating positions of all concerned. The advice in this is from Sun Tzu “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles..."

I believe to have a win-win negotiation, few information is necessary even before the meeting begins 1) Know your client, search and read about them, their preferences, interests etc. This helps to break the ice during initial conversations 2) Understand the clients objective and be clear about your/enterprise goals. It helps to identify the value that client and oneself will achieve with the win win solutions during negotiations 3) Facts and figures are your biggest asset in a discussion that will help you through the negotiations 4) Body language and the tone of your voice during the entire process will leave a major impact and to a large extent will help you reach consensus

Account Managers need to develop an ability to create rapport with their customers and suppliers constituencies if they are to be able to negotiate more. It is much easier to negotiate with individuals whom you have built relations with over a period of time, it sort of gives a leverage to have a bargaining power without messing up the already existing business relationship. At the end of the day, it all goes back to the power of having a great social capital, one which allows Account managers to effectively negotiate for the profitability of the organisation.

My goal is to make your customer successful, might even mean sometimes that you will sell less first but you will have a long lasting business relationship which is built on trust as you are focused on the customers needs and not on a quick sale.

Your main goal has to be to win the bid on your terms that will benefit your company. To achieve this goal, you need to do the following: • Get information from the client about what the competition is offering. • Compare your offer with the competitors' and highlight your strengths and advantages. • Last but not least, identify where you can compromise and not lose any benefits of the deal.

Fazer gestão compartilhada da demanda, bem como da reposição ajudará a fazer vendas sustentáveis, construindo relações de confiança.

Clearly state your objectives and preferences in the negotiation process. Clarity in objectives will help you negotiate better. Plan and develop your strategy in advance. This will help you find creative solutions for the win-win. Try to find out what the other party wants. This will help in leaving no value on the table Know your fall back position. Evaluate the most favorable alternative in case the negotiation falls through.

In addition to knowing and understanding your clear goals, your strategy should also include an understanding of the other party’s goals. What are they seeking to the best of your knowledge? How many resources do they have available to them to acquire this goal? How many resources do you have available to acquire your goal? Is there anything unique or of value they have to offer that should be considered in advance? What value can you add that makes your offer more unique to them? Is there anything else that significantly narrows down their field of resources?

Sales is 80% preparation, 20% presentation. Do your homework, understand the customer’s problem, create multiple possible solutions to pivot and negotiate when objections arise. An objection is not a “no” it usually is a “I’m not comfortable/convinced.” The customer is talking to you so the interest is there.

Be honest, build trust, fit with the customers programne. what are the priorities of the customer .. lead/bend/flex ! Have the resource to be in a position to mobilise.. honesty !

A abordagem com dados, permite um direcionamento mais assertivo em qualquer negociação. Os dados alinham expectativas e facilitam as concessoes, assim as metas se tornam reais e as estratégias eficazes.

Ahora mismo debemos tener un equipo muy formado y que generen negocio en la venta día a día. Para ello debemos educarlos y formarlos para que no sean recoge pedidos y evolucionen a un gestor comercial. DigitaliZar al cliente y liberar tiempo en la visita y en su día. Una vez tengamos ese tiempo utilizarlo para generar visitas de valor. No es una tarea fácil. Todos sabemos recoger un pedido, pero muy pocos aportar valor y negocio . La planificación será la parte más importante una vez tengamos ese tiempo liberado.

It is OK to have a standard, "plan of attack" but you must be able to adjust the nuances of it to your audience to gain their attention and ultimately their trust. What issues may be unique to their vertical or industry? What are their potential alternatives to overcome that issue? Do they put a value on their pain point and a corresponding value on the solution that can alleviate it? Coming in prepared to discuss, in good faith, can be the single largest key to success in getting buy in.

At any given point of time, a salesperson must have a complete knowledge about his own product and competition product. By giving the right product information, product comparison will make customer to choose right product or services. This will help them building trust and confidence to customer for a specific or any future requirements. Most importantly, salesperson should never sell wrong product or service to customer, which will impact his long business relationship with customer.

Preparation is an interesting thing, its always good practice to do thorough research on your potential client and the person you are meeting. Its also super important to plan your end goal, what you want to achieve, what value you can offer (or think you can offer) and your questions that you need answering. However, you can never prepare for everything, its important to go into any meeting with an open mind, as we all know, any curveball can be thrown at you in a sales meeting. As the old saying goes.... Expect the unexpected.

Procure entender o que o cliente precisa. As dores dele são os pontos de onde você vai tirar a base para sua melhor argumentação. Valide o que a outra pessoa está falando. Interaja e responda com frases curtas para não cortar o raciocínio do cliente. Conheça bem a solução que você oferece. Unindo o conhecimento sobre o que você vende com a forma certa de falar e uma linguagem corporal adequada, o número de propostas fechadas pode aumentar.

Strategy build up is not just a statement, but a culmination and summary of all the perspectives from various stakeholders - Although the Management could setup the direction for the Business strategy, but if the same is understood by different persons / depts in the organisation, based on their "own directions or personal ambitions" - then there could be leading to short deliveries - maybe in the longer run - Its important to align all Goals during interactive Team meetings and then garner support /contributions towards a right direction / strategy

Absolutely necessary to build relationship with key accounts & customers. Trust can only be achieved by fast, accurate, and continuous responses to customers requests and provide both commercial and technical engagements (in the case of technical sales). Create continuous flow and routine to engage with customers personalized to their needs. Set up various settings both in and out of the meeting to strengthen that relationship.

This may be an unpopular opinion but by the time we are at the point of negotiation, rapport and trust must have already been established. And, of the two, trust trumps rapport. People will buy from someone they don’t like (if they decide it’s the best value) but they will rarely buy from someone they don’t trust.

Building rapport with the buyer is usually accomplished by being authentic or real. It helps to be confident but humble. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. If you are, surely don’t remind anyone. Make sure you are the best listener in the room. Through my experience as a salesman, sales manager and a business executive, I believe it helps to be yourself. Be someone that your you would trust. Be informed, be prepared, be helpful, try not to waste people’s time and deliver substance. I have a son with Aspergers that learned to be great retail salesperson. Be nice, be helpful, know your products and get results. Real trust is earned over time by delivering on what you say and backing up promises with positive results.

Do what you say you will do, find out what’s important to the customer or client and shape your presentation and negotiation to how it solves their problem or need. Demonstrate that you understand and have listened to them, repeat back, why the need your solution and why the price is justified. Make it easy, too many purchases or acquisitions are over complex or protracted, the easier the sales process, the easier the negotiation and close.

Agree - Leveraging personal anecdotes, offering compliments, or employing humor would ease initial tensions transforms negotiations into both a more enjoyable and productive experience. Such approaches serve to humanize those at the table, highlighting that beyond their professional roles, each person is an individual characterized by unique values, emotions, and life stories.

Trust is the foundation of effective selling. To build trust, you must put yourself in the shoes of your prospective client who only knows you as someone who wants their business. Then ask the following questions. 1. Can I trust you? 2. Do you have my best interest? 3. Do you understand my needs? If you can genuinely address the above, sales will follow organically.

A new born baby knows if someone is being sincere and “authentic” be sure to keep it real. Listen more, talk less and your approach will be more in alignment.

Após anos de negociação , aprendi que construir relacionamentos confiáveis é fundamental para o sucesso . Respeitar as pessoas , diversidade , ouvir o outro lado e chegar em um senso comum , que beneficie ambos , torna a rotina mais saudável e constrói laços duradouros a longo prazo .

Construir relacionamentos em vendas é fundamental para o sucesso a longo prazo. Seja transparente e honesto em suas interações com o cliente para construir confiança. Evite pressionar o cliente para fechar a venda. Em vez disso, crie um relacionamento em que o cliente se sinta confortável para expressar suas necessidades, facilitando assim a condução fluida da venda.

Sometimes our customers are just as nervous about buying a new product as we are selling it to them, so I am a firm believer of taking us both on a journey of discovery where we learn how to help each other deliver on what both our businesses need. This is not about becoming lifelong friends but becoming a trusted advisor where both parties benefit from a strong relationship.

One of the most fundamental negotiation rules is to focus on value rather than money. Instead than focusing on the pricing or features of your solution or offer, consider the benefits and results that it may deliver to the other party.

Most important ways to negotiate a sale with a client: 📍Sell your value 📍what’s my better than others 📍earn their trust.

Busque sempre negócios com quem; ✓ Tenha objetivos claros e definidos como os seus. ✓ Faça sempre a melhor leitura da abordagem, bem como o que o negócio trará de resultado. ✓ Seja o que combinar, não deixe de cumprir. Isso trará uma verdadeira relação de confiança, você é uma carta a ser lida por quem negocia com você. ✓ Não confunda sentimentos com negócios, você poderá fracassar em seus resultados.

Always add value throughout the process, if you give ground, justify it, but explain or re-affirm the value to the consumer, client, customer.

Negotiate not only your commercials but also your service and what value it would bring to your client. Time is money so if you save them time by your offer of good service then this equates to commercial value as its then free for them to spend.

Muchos vendedores cometen el error de destacar solo las características de un producto, sin resaltar su valor, el cual está intrínsicamente relacionado a que dolor de cabeza le va a solucionar al cliente, el cual puede ser: - Generándole una ganancia - Ahorrándole costos - Mejorando procesos

Es importante hacer notar al cliente todos los beneficios que tendrá más allá de la compra del producto en sí, por ejemplo: si tendrá una línea de crédito con la empresa; si cuenta con un soporte técnico y garantía posterior a la venta; si es posible mantener inventario en tus bodegas por un tiempo determinado, si fuera el caso. Este tipo de elementos añaden valor al producto o servicio que estás vendiendo y pueden justificar el precio que estás ofreciendo. Adicional, esto puede dar la pauta al cliente de que buscas una relación de negocios y no vender por vender.

Listen Listen to the customer - people buy from people they like - if on a production floor - -the staff of any rank can offer valuable insights to a companies problems / requirements which can form part of a good strategic business sales plan. Remember for instance Black n Decker dont sell drills they sell holes in a wall / wood etc. Problem solving / solution selling is key !

Highlight unique selling points and emphasize how your offerings can address their specific needs or challenges. Clearly articulate the benefits and advantages of choosing your solution over alternatives (if there is any other competitor or similar products)

Try to solve a problem your customer has that they don't even know they have. Price is important, yes, but price is always relative. Nevertheless, negotiations about price will always be the result. This can also be about friendly payment or delivery terms, but never about the price of the product itself.

Regardless of how well you prepare and communicate, you are sure to encounter some objections or disagreements throughout the negotiation. You should not take them personally or respond defensively; instead, view them as chances to learn more about the other party's wants and worries.

When facing objections or conflicts during negotiations, view them as opportunities to deepen your understanding of the other party's needs and concerns. Acknowledge their points with empathy, and counter with evidence and real-world examples that highlight the value of your solution. Use open-ended questions to explore their issues further, offering solutions or alternatives that address their concerns. This approach demonstrates your commitment to finding a mutually beneficial outcome and strengthens the relationship by showing respect for their perspective.

understand the objection and agree with it! Too many times we argue about why our solution is better at that given time. Propose to them when and where your solution would be beneficial and how it is different from the previous objection

Conflicts are opportunities having tendencies to open more avenues to further explore by having the understand and criticality of their want and to further deepening and also ensuring earliest closures.

Concrete example already used: Let's say you're negotiating a service contract with a customer and they raise an objection about the high cost. Instead of taking this personally, you could respond by saying, "I understand that cost is a major concern. Let me show you how our service can reduce your operational costs over time. We've seen in others customers an increase in efficiency that resulted in significant savings. Can I share some real-world examples with you and discuss how our solution can specifically meet your needs?" This approach demonstrates understanding of the objection, provides tangible evidence, and opens the way for constructive discussion

I personally feel Negotiation is multifaceted, blending logic and emotions. To succeed, foster rapport through respect, empathy, and sincerity. Employ positive body language, active listening, and open-ended questions. Break ice with personal stories, compliments, or humor. This builds trust, making collaboration easier. Dont’s : Never negotiate on finances. Negotiate on project size and deployment. Don’t spend too much time on negotiation. Closing 10 accounts of 1000$ gives you more depth on the multiple projects whereas and closing 1 account of 10,000$ you will have more volume but less depth so you are loosing interns of TAM penetration.

- Fundamental estar atento as necesidades reais do cliente x produtos e serviços, mas mesmo com essa preparação podem ocorrer objeções. - Importante sempre ter um plano B, C, carta na manga, pois se for necessário você já estará preparado dentro da sua alçada!

Preparation Active Listening Value Proposition Win-Win Approach Negotiation Techniques Maintain Professionalism Negotiation Training Follow-Up

In a negotiation you will always encounter objections. There are many ways to handle objections. But the most important issue is to be able to tell the real objections from the fake ones. You can apply the best objection handling technique, but if it isn´t the real objection, you will be wasting your time and your clients. How can you tell? The more research you do on your prospects, the better you will be able to present your product as their solution. And get the price out of the way. If you say it in the beggining and continue adding value, they will continue with you and not stay stuck in the price. You will also know from the start if they can afford your proposal or not.

In handling objections during negotiations, these principles will guide you to see these moments as opportunities, not setbacks. Use tactical empathy to acknowledge concerns without defensiveness, applying mirroring and labeling to deepen understanding and encourage elaboration. Employ calibrated questions to explore the other party's needs further and collaboratively work towards solutions. Proactively address potential objections with an accusation audit, softening resistance and keeping the dialogue constructive. This approach turns objections into pathways for mutual understanding and agreement, emphasizing problem-solving and empathy over confrontation.

Half the battle is won when you do your homework well. Aside from identifying key pain points of your customer, deeply study the background of the people you will negotiate with: their tendencies, personalities, and history with similar negotiations. Are they more rational or emotional people at the negotiating table? Do they love to talk detailed numbers and figures or prefer to discuss big picture plans, strategies and mutual partnerships ? What’s in it for them and their role in their organization? What are the important, deciding factors and negotiating points that may help swing the negotiations in your favor? What are their likely negotiables and non-negotiables? These are invaluable tools you need to succeed in negotiations.

Closing for some account managers is the scariest part of the process. For me, it's the most exciting. If we properly follow the 5 steps preceding this step, closing the deal will flow naturally. I look at closing as merely a summary of all key points discussed earlier. It's an opportunity to showcase your phenomenal listening skills and give a solid recap of the prospects goals, give reassurance that you can address their concerns, revisit the best parts about your offer, and emphasize the value you bring. If you've followed the steps properly, you've more than earned the right to ask for the business.

Closing the deal is the essence of a commercial sale. Without it....well, no beef on the table. It is like going out fishing, this requires patience, thinking time, continuous focus until the very bite is felt. You better pull it in. No matter how difficult the battle was, you and your customer will be both satisfied.

Listen to the customer, discover their pain point and create a value driven solution. Keep in mind that most likely they already have someone providing the widget or service today. Ask for the commitment to change if you create an agreeable solution,this may save you alot of time and energy to find out later that they were price shopping and used your hard work to negotiate with current provider. Be sure you are speaking with the decision maker, alot of people can say no but only a few can actually say yes.

To close the deal with all parties happy a key thing to remember is timeline. Ensure you are both clear on when a contract must be signed and what factors could affect the proposed timeframe. Good luck readers!

To negotiate more effectively as an account manager: Understand Your Client: Know your client's needs, priorities, and pain points to tailor your negotiation strategy accordingly. Define Clear Objectives: Establish your goals and what you're willing to compromise on. Be clear about the value you bring to the client. Active Listening: Pay attention to your client's concerns and preferences. This helps you address their needs more effectively. Build Relationships: Foster a positive relationship with your client. A strong rapport can facilitate smoother negotiations. Highlight Value Proposition: Emphasize the unique value your product or service brings and how it addresses the client's specific challenges or requirements.

Let's Thank them in making the right decision and how it's going to change the way it works for the prospect. Communicate on the TAT for the next process and keep deadline for the paper works to be done

If you have understood the customer needs, prepared your strategy, addressed all concerns, shown the value of your proposition and they agree. “Ask for the business” in the investigation stage you should have identified a start date or buy date. Have an implementation plan ready and unveil when you ask for the sale.

Close the deal often becomes an afterthought. Always remember this is your main and only objective. It’s your job and responsibility. Never pressure or come off as condescending or artificial. Always repeat the value and ask for agreement. Once you have agreement ask for the order by asking what are the next steps. Always be thankful and appreciative for the opportunity.

Adhering to the G(old)en rule - Never be the first one to make an offer, try to understand what budget are they holding. But if you have to do it - educate them about what kind of value you are going to bring in and why do you stand apart from your peers. Try to settle it in a way where the customer feels as if its a win-win for both. And, regardless of how controversial it sounds (for worst case scenarios) - loose the battle to win the war (subject to how big and important the logo is to you, win their trust and compensate on the next upsell/cross-sell)

Unpopular but it’s very important to follow up even after sales, ask for feedback, check how they are doing with the product it shows you truly care beyond sales and could land you another sales or referral.

I'm a big fan of Todd Caponi's book 'The Transparency Sale' where he breaks down negotiation and the different negotiation levers that can be used. Rather than bartering, transparently 'trading terms' is far more effective.

No siempre cierra un trato es una buena negociación A veces para lograr un buen acuerdo es necesario generar un conflicto en l negociación También es interesante conocer las necesidades de la otra parte

Understanding customer needs including emotional needs, keeping a back up strategy , focus on value offering , and not to run down competition will lead to better sales outcomes. Final step would be to do a objective assessment what went right and areas which need improvement and use them with other customer calls

Be sure you're building real value for your customer BUT before verifying if this value is what the customer wants. Without this condition, what you're doing is surely important but not relevant for your customer

In my experience these are the bare minimums: Before going into any negotiation, clarity is key. Understand what you aim to achieve, recognize your alternatives, and identify your walk-away point. With goals in mind, develop a strategy that outlines how you'll communicate objectives & persuade. Anticipating the other party's strategy & preparing to address their concerns shows a level of preparation that will set you apart. Negotiate focusing on the value of benefits and outcomes rather than the cost. This shifts the discussion from a price war to a conversation about value, enabling you to justify worth & foster win-win outcomes. Throughout it all, maintain focus on objectives while being open and that will lead to mutual solutions.

A quarterly email campaign to my database works well for me, and also print it off as a leave behind for when you are there face to face and you get distracted and need to get back on track.