sales negotiation: changing the conversation

We're coming up to the end of the first quarter of the year.  Salespeople are looking at their numbers and thinking about what they need to do to meet their goals.  Is this you?  Are you willing to do anything to complete this business negotiation and close the deal with your customer?  

Because of an inability - or unwillingness - to think long term, more and more salespeople are making concessions that are not in the best interests of either themselves or their companies in their efforts to "close the deal."  Compounding the problem, their competitors, who are equally unable to see beyond the current quarter, respond by making equally ill-advised concessions. 

Despite claims that "it's just this one deal," these concessions become the norm.  This in turn leads to price wars that, because of the speed at which market data is communicated today, erupt more quickly, go deeper, and are more damaging than were those of the past. 

But what can be done?  Isn't this just the way busines is done?  It doesn't have to be.  Find out more in the free book excerpt from B2B Street Fighting - three counterpunches to change the negotiation conversation.