Best Ways to Approach Negotiations with Skeptical Stakeholders

I had Nick Glimsdahl on the Negotiate Anything Podcast and we were talking about skepticism in the world of business and sales. The conclusion we came to was that since many of us feel like we are constantly being marketed to, we shut down much faster when we sense this happening. This is a frequent occurrence for those in the sales industry. Potential clients start to feel like the only reason you are being friendly is so that you can sell them something. So how do we overcome this skepticism? By breaking predictable patterns. So, here’s an example: Let’s say in a typical sales interaction, you would begin by offering some free advice or asking them about some problem they are having. There’s a high likelihood that many of the people you speak with will assume that you are only offering to help them as a tactic to eventually persuade them to purchase something. This only increases their skepticism and blocks their willingness to listen to what you have to say. In this case, the predictable behavior would be doing just that. Simply asking questions with the goal of turning the conversation towards a sales pitch. So here is something you can do instead. Be genuinely generous, not strategically generous. Create goodwill in the relationship by helping people without expecting something in return. Then, follow your genuine curiosity with authentic advice. One thing Nick likes to say in situations like this is: “Regardless of which company you decide to go with, [Product X]  would be a good decision because of….” It’s the consultative sales process that helps you to be seen as a trusted advisor. Once they realize that you are offering advice without the expectation of anything in return, it makes them more likely to trust you. Ironically, this increases your odds of securing them as a client, in the moment or at some point in the future. #Negotiation #Sales #Business

When I'm negotiating, I tend to AGREE with the other side. Sounds counter-intuitive. But it's enabled me to close 7-figure settlements. Most lawyers think negotiations are about being tough, standing your ground, and not giving an inch. I take the opposite approach: tactical empathy. Here's how it works. When opposing counsel says something like, "That's a ridiculous settlement demand. We can never possibly pay that much," I don't fight back. Instead, I validate them: "I can see why you would say that. I'm sorry for that. What can I do to come up with an offer that makes sense for you? My client is unfortunately stuck here." Their reaction? Complete confusion. They're prepared for a fight. They've got their counterarguments lined up. But when I validate their feelings instead, their entire script falls apart. The best part? They start giving me information I can use to negotiate against them. When faced with validation instead of opposition, lawyers suddenly start explaining their real constraints, their client's actual position, and sometimes even what number they might actually be able to get approved. All because I didn't argue. I've found this approach works especially well on lawyers because they don't even know what's happening. They're so used to adversarial negotiations that genuine validation short-circuits their usual approach. The key elements: • Validate their emotions • Acknowledge their position • Ask questions instead of making demands • Keep validating even when they try to be difficult This isn't just about being nice – it's strategic. By removing the confrontation, you force them to either engage constructively or look unreasonable. Next time you're in a difficult negotiation, try validation instead of opposition. It feels counterintuitive, but the results speak for themselves. After all, the goal isn't to win the argument – it's to get what your client needs.

Sick of hearing “no” in negotiations? These five fixes will turn rejections into wins. Understand why your negotiations fail, and gain powerful strategies to flip rejections into confident agreements. After decades of coaching global leaders through tough negotiations, I’ve learned a crucial truth: Most rejections aren’t about your offer, they’re about your negotiation approach. Here are honest lessons from my own painful negotiation mistakes, paired with clear, actionable fixes: 🔴 Mistake #1: Selling instead of solving Early in my career, I passionately pitched a partnership that was quickly rejected, it served my interests, not theirs. High stakes and embarrassment followed. ✅ Action: Never pitch without first asking clearly: “What outcomes matter most to you?” 🔴 Mistake #2: Ego over empathy Confidently proposing strict terms to demonstrate professionalism backfired when the client felt disrespected. Immediate rejection taught me, empathy beats ego every time. ✅ Action: Clearly show respect and collaboration: “Your insights are vital; let’s build this together.” 🔴 Mistake #3: Ignoring their better alternatives A major deal slipped through my fingers because I overlooked my client’s superior alternative (BATNA). My silence made my proposal irrelevant and costly. ✅ Action: Address alternatives directly: “I recognize you have other strong options; here’s why my offer uniquely benefits you.” 🔴 Mistake #4: Threatening their reputation I once had a deal collapse because accepting it would’ve undermined my counterpart’s internal credibility. A painful oversight I won’t forget. ✅ Action: Actively protect their reputation: “How can we structure this deal to enhance your internal credibility?” 🔴 Mistake #5: Losing trust Repeated rejections from a key client taught me they had lost trust due to hidden risks. Transparency became my essential tool for successful negotiations. ✅ Action: Be radically transparent: “These are the risks; let’s address them openly and together.” Rejection isn’t failure, it’s your best negotiation guide when you decode it clearly. What’s your go-to strategy for overcoming negotiation rejection? If this helped you rethink how you handle rejection don’t keep it to yourself! Repost, comment, or tag someone who needs to read this today. ♻️ 

"We have budget for $199,000," the procurement manager spat at me. I had a $325,000 deal forecasted, and we had 7 days left to close it. That was June, 2020. End of quarter. Egg about to be smeared all over my face. I paced around my house while my family swam at the pool. Cursing under my breath. Back then, I knew every negotiation tactic in the book. But that was the problem: My negotiation "strategy" was actually what I now call "random acts of tactics." A question here. A label there. Throw in a 'give to get.' There was no system. No process. Just grasping. Since then, I now follow a step by step process for every negotiation. Here's the first 4: 1. Summarize and Pass the Torch. Key negotiation mistake. Letting your buyer negotiate with nothing but price on their mind. Instead: Start the negotiation with this: “As we get started, I thought I’d spend the first few minutes summarizing the key elements of our partnership so we’re all on the same page. Fair?” Then spend the next 3-4 min summarizing: - the customer's problem - your (unique) solution - the proposal That cements the business value. Reminds your counterpart what's at stake. They might not admit it: But it's now twice as hard for them to be price sensitive. After summarizing, pass the torch: "How do you think we land this plane from here?" Asking questions puts you in control. Now the onus is on them. But you know what they're going to say next. 2. Get ALL Their Asks On the Table Do this before RESPONDING to any "ask" individually. When you 'summarize and pass the torch,' usually they're going to make an ask. "Discount 20% more and we land this plane!" Some asks, you might want to agree to immediately. Don't. Get EVERY one of their asks on the table: You need to see the forest for the trees. “Let’s say we [found a way to resolve that]. In addition to that, what else is still standing in our way of moving forward?” Repeat until their answer is: "Nothing. We'd sign." Then confirm: “So if we found a way to [agree on X, Y, Z], there is nothing else stopping us from moving forward together?" 3. Stack Rank They probably just threw 3-4 asks at you. Now say: "How would you stack rank these from most important to least important?” Force them to prioritize. Now for the killer: 4. Uncover the Underlying Need(s) Ignore what they're asking for. Uncover WHY they're asking for it. If you don't, you can't NEGOTIATE. You can only BARTER. You might be able to address the UNDERLYING need in a different, better way than what they're asking for. After summarizing all of their 'requests,' say this: “What’s going on in your world that’s driving you to need that?” Do that for each one. Problem-solve from there. P.S. These 7 sales skills will help you add an extra $53K to your income in the next 6 months (or less) without working more hours, more stress, or outdated “high-pressure” tactics. Go here: https://lnkd.in/ggYuTdtf

My #1 tip in negotiation is to make the other person feel like they've won by giving the illusion of choice. I really can't believe how powerful this has been for me personally, professionally & for my sales team. BACKGROUND: I've noticed something over & over again in any negotiation - people feel good when they have control. No one likes to feel out of control or that their fate is not in their own hands. So when I go toe-to-toe with a colleague, a prospect or my mother I think about how I can make them feel like they're in control by letting them choose the outcome. Only the outcomes they're choosing between, are options I presented to them because I'm cool with any of the outcomes. EXAMPLE 1: Here's an example. Let's say I quote the prospect a $20k deal and they push back for $15k. I know I won't go below $17.5k so I say: --- Hey - I've taken this back to my team since I know a more affordable service is important for you given your budget. You're really crushing me on the negotiation so I know I need to meet you halfway. I'm excited to share a few different options we came up with and I need your help deciding which is the best one for you so you can feel really good about this deal: (1) $20k deal with the 13th month free (2) $18k deal where you do a case study with us (3) $17.5k deal but it's a two-year commitment --- Prospect now has the illusion of choice. And always expect a good negotiator to collapse your choices by asking for the cheapest one with no strings attached. I know they're going to counter with $17.5k, one-year deal which I expect and am ok with. EXAMPLE 2: Second example, attached, is me negotiating yesterday with a LinkedIn Social Selling coach I just signed with (I've never tried one but think I could use one). My highest willingness to pay was $10k cash for 3 months. Just like in the first example I gave 3 options for the illusion of choice. They countered, collapsing my options to $10k + the references. Smart move and a tad beyond what I wanted but I signed and we both walk away feeling good. I'm amusing myself writing this because this new coach will both hate & love this post ;) #negotiation #saas #tips