Getting the best of buyers

1. What do you do... when the buyer says your product is no good?

Have a number of testimonials about your product. Other customer’s letters stating how good your product is are a great help when your opponent tries to say it is bad. Develop the habit of collecting letters of praise.

Make sure your product knowledge is good, so that you are able to handle the accusations with authority.

Offer to prove to your opponent how good your product is, by demonstration. Or guarantee that it does what you say it does.

2. What do you do... when the buyer says “That's it”, or “Take it or leave it”?

Ignore it and carry on. Start using “What ifs”. “What if I could persuade my boss to extend your credit to 90 days?” Don't say “Sorry, no deal” (unless you are certain he is bluffing); it's too risky.

Add new issues to the negotiation. Try to make the ‘pie’ bigger.

3. What do you do... when the buyer agrees to a price and then adds on extras?

“Okay then, we have agreed that I will buy 50 industrial vacuum cleaners at the discounted price, I am sure you'll be able to include the conversion kits at the same price, won't you?”

Don't drop the defences. You may be so pleased to get the deal that the defences are down. There is no need to add anything after the deal is struck, so don't do it. (Don’t give anything away, always trade it).

The best response would be, “I'm afraid not, but you are right to consider the conversion kit as well and I will be able to get them for you at a considerable discount, if you want 50 units.”

4. What do you do... when the buyer uses the ‘bulk discount’ tactic?

You agree a price for 10 000 units and then he orders 500 ‘to start’.

Don't fall for it, it's just a tactic. “I will have to charge you the full price for 500 units but I will be happy to include the 500 when I calculate the discount on the 10 000 you are going to purchase.”

5. What do you do... when the buyer keeps you waiting?

This tactic is designed to put you off. You should disarm it by simply being pleased that he was late. Try “I am glad the meeting started later; it gave me valuable time to prepare.”

As a young salesman I remember buyers would sometimes ignore me when I walked into their office, or pretend to be finishing an important document that is obviously more important than I was. Again, this is just a tactic.

I soon learnt a very good way of getting their attention. Instead of just sitting, or standing quietly, I would walk round their office, looking at the pictures or picking up their golf trophies (or anything else that was lying around). The buyer soon lost interest in the ‘important’ work they were doing and we could then get on with the meeting.

Well-trained buyers are good at these, and all sorts of other techniques, to get a better deal from the salesperson. The new salesperson will be pleased to get out of the office with an order but we must all remember that the product or service we are offering is good value at the full price. Don’t fall for the tricks.