Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2010, and the author’s claim that eight years ago his team took part in 35 negotiation meetings and closed 29 is relative to 2010, around 2002. It is a personal claim that cannot be verified.
Some meetings are absolutely critical for a company. We need to close a deal, an agreement, a partnership or whatever it may be, and we have to close it no matter what, because failing to do so would seriously threaten the company’s survival.
In these cases we can’t leave anything to chance. We have to study, down to the last detail, every aspect we can use to steer the outcome in our favor. Eight years ago we took part in 35 negotiation meetings and successfully closed 29 of them, using most of the steps set out below. Some are well known and others perhaps less so, but they still deliver good results today.
1. Try to hold the meeting on your own turf whenever possible. Playing at home, you’ll have more control over the situation. That way you decide how many times your prospective clients or investors will be interrupted by staff and secretaries (NONE), since you need to create an environment free of distractions.
2. Leave nothing to chance. Guaranteed success is planned, not left to luck. Try to find out what kind of people you’ll be meeting: their religion, political party, whether they’re married or single, and where they stand on these subjects. That way, if a friendly conversation comes up, you’ll know what you can talk about, what to avoid and how to approach it. Your script has to be perfect.
3. If you’re meeting two people, always seat them on the same side, NEVER facing each other, and ideally facing you. That way they’re visually cut off from each other. If there are more than two, size them up quickly before seating them to try to work out who holds the most rank or decision-making power. Try to seat that person on your left (this isn’t essential, but if you get the chance, do it).
4. Better to seem serious than likeable. People do business with serious people and have fun with likeable ones. They’ve come to do business, and seriousness is the image of the company. Your friends will appreciate your cheerful, friendly, joking personality. It may be a coincidence, but most of the good deals I’ve closed were with people who at first seemed far too serious for my taste. The biggest fiascos I’ve had in business were with people who seemed outgoing and cheerful at first sight.
5. The gift of expression. What matters isn’t what we say but how we say it and the state we’re in when we say it. Save the nerves for your Friday-night date: in this meeting, you are a calm person. To keep your nerves from showing, always hold a pen or something else in your hands, but handle it slowly. Nerves equal insecurity. An insecure person doesn’t trust themselves, and someone who doesn’t trust themselves isn’t very sure of their abilities, which means they haven’t achieved much. Would you put your business in the hands of someone like that? Neither would they. (Read: 7 body language techniques)
6. Focus and concentrate. You already know your office, so there’s no need to inspect the pictures on the wall, the doors or the ceiling. Everything is still where it was, so look them in the eye at all times: never look away while they’re talking or while you’re talking. Use good body language so you don’t bore them or send them to sleep. Short, precise explanations. Even more precise answers. You don’t need to show off everything you’ve learned over your career. They take it for granted that you know the subject, as long as you don’t put your foot in it.
7. Never interrupt what someone is telling you, however much you want to point out that they’ve got a concept wrong. Take notes and, when they finish, remind them exactly which points you think they’ve got wrong and give them your answer. Cutting someone off is bad manners, and not only in sales; but in this world it also signals desperation or a need to sell at any cost (and, while we’re at it, bad manners).
8. The golden rule. If before or during the meeting you think you’ve got them in the bag, you’re lost. Relaxing is for your free time. Here you’re always at 0 and you have to get to 10. Remember that we’re talking about guaranteed success, and since nothing in life is guaranteed, you’ll only secure success if you never assume you’ve got them in the bag. All this wordplay boils down to one thing: throughout the negotiation, stay alert, but relaxed.
9. Earlier we talked about your body language; now study theirs. If someone crosses their arms and leans back, win back their attention quickly or ask whether they’d like to clarify anything, because they’ve stopped listening. If they turn sideways with one arm on the table, they’re neutral (passive or receptive); as long as it’s only one arm, there’s no problem. And if they have both arms on the table and are leaning forward, you’re on the right track. If during the meeting you notice restless feet or yawning, get them involved with questions or suggest a five-minute break. Nobody talks about work during that break, and since you shouldn’t get too personal on more informal topics either, leave the room and let them talk among themselves. When you come back they’ll listen more closely and ask more questions, because they’ll surely have talked it over. And remember: you’ll only succeed in the negotiation if you always start from 0, even when you’re at 8.
Treat a meeting like a battlefield, where preparing the ground is essential. Once the ground is ready, you’ll need to be good with your weapons, which are your product or service, and with your power of persuasion.
Further reading
- How to be more persuasive and charismatic
- Common mistakes Hispanic business owners make
- Differences between Hispanic and American business owners
- 5 ways to grow your business
- Why new businesses fail
Featured image: Breather breather, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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