Negotiating price with your customers

Successful negotiation with your customers is key to maintaining strong and mutually beneficial relationships.

Even if you have mastered your sales approach, it is likely you will come across customers hunting for a better deal. Here are three ways to negotiate with your customers for a win-win solution:

Ask questions
Asking the customer questions shows your interest in understanding, and most importantly, addressing their needs and concerns. It also demonstrates that you are willing to come to a compromise. When trying to uncover the customer’s problems, spend time asking questions but let them do most of the talking.

Build rapport
Showing a level of respect and care for the customer is a critical factor in effective negotiation. Try to establish a good relationship before entering the negotiation and remain calm during the negotiation process. Be sure to emphasise how much you value your relationship with the customer and follow-up after the negotiation.

Make reasonable concessions
Before entering the negotiation, think about concessions which wouldn’t cost you much but would bring a lot of value to your customer. Going into the negotiation with a clear idea of how much you are willing to negotiate helps to avoid making unnecessary concessions at the last-minute.