Carennedy Solutions

Are You a Spoiled Brat Negotiator?
by Kim Duke the Sales Diva

I was pushing my chocolate-laden shopping cart at the grocery store the other
day (yes – Divas grocery shop!) and saw a power negotiator in action. This
person was persistent, passionate and absolutely on purpose!They were also
less than 4 feet high.

Yeah -you guessed it lady – I saw a 6 year old girl with pig-tails seriously work
her mother for a different kind of yogurt.

I know – yogurt? (if it had been me – it would have been sugar cereal or a
chocolate bar all the way!)

You got it – this little blonde, blue-eyed dynamo was determined she wasn’t
going to have to eat the stuff out of the “big” plastic, boring container. She
wanted the stuff in the colorful tubes instead!

I kid you not – this is what I heard her say…(this child should be teaching
sales)

“But Mom - this kind tastes better and I always eat it at school.”

BINGO!

Mom folded like a taco and a little girl got her box of tube yogurt. And a Sales
Diva received some inspiration for a column!

Are You A Spoiled Brat At Negotiating?
This little girl absolutely “Wowed” me with her negotiating skills because she
inadvertently said what her mother needed to hear. Benefit. Benefit. Benefit.

So she actually wasn’t a spoiled brat negotiator at all. But YOU probably are.
One of the biggest reasons most people SUCK at negotiating is because it’s
all about ME, ME, ME!

Remember – a successful negotiation is not where you have STICKY
FINGERS.

Follow these 5 Bossy Sales Diva Rules Instead:
1. Stay calm. If you’re stamping your feet in the sandbox about what you want
and lose all sense of logic…well then – you have just become vulnerable in the
world of negotiating. And you’re about to lose your favorite toy. (in my world –
this means MONEY)

2. Pouting doesn’t work. If your potential customer isn’t seeing the value of
what you offer – that’s YOUR ISSUE and not theirs. No one likes a defensive
cry-baby.

3. Share Your Toys. A successful negotiation is where both parties feel like it
was a Win-Win. No one should feel they were “taken for a
merry-go-round-ride”.

4. Play With The Right People. Are you really busy chasing people who have
no need for your services? You’re going to get a lot of rejection. Be super
clear on who your target audience is.

5. Don’t Reward Bad Behavior. Hey – stop giving discounts to people who
always want the cheapest price or who only want to buy something small.
Reward your loyal customers, or people who are making a large commitment
of time and investment in you.

When I was a kid, my sister’s favorite expression to me was “You’re not the
BOSS of me!”

She was right.

The only person who is THE BOSS OF YOU – IS YOU.
It’s time you grew up and realized that you have VALUE and you don’t have to
be the cheapest kid on the block. You don’t need everyone to like you – you
just need more of the kinds who do.

So there.

Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for women small biz owners
and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients internationally, showing them The Sales Diva
secrets to success! Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE e-zine and receive her FREE
Bonus Report "The 5 Biggest Sales Mistakes Women Make" at www.salesdivas.com