There are very few - if any - complete solutions to any problem.  Despite the many benefits of a strategic negotiation process, there are some problems that even it can't solve.  Many negotiation problems, in fact, stem from a poorly executed or nonexistent sales process.  Poor account selection is one example.  If you sell for a firm that prides itself on providing value and solutions versus the lowest cost, and you call on customers who don't share those values, you are creating problems that, though unrelated to negotiations, will nevertheless have an impact on those negotiations.

Negotiation tactics used by your predecessors can affect negotiation.  Let's say, for example, you're brand new in a territory, and you're following a sales rep who, for years, gave away price and service to close deals at the end of each quarter.  Unfortunately, even though you may be new, your customers are going to remember, and when negotiation time comes around, they're going to expect the same from you as they got from your predecessor.

The level of the individuals on whom you call can also have an effect on negotiations.  If, for example, you're trying to sell fuel to an airline and are calling on the lowest-level purchasing agent selling price per gallon, the chances are you'll end up with negotiation problems. If, on the other hand, you call on executives at multiple levels in the organization, and sell a solution that includes not only fuel but also the benefits of that fuel, such as lowering long-term maintenance costs because of the fuel's high quality, whatever negotiation pressure you encounter will be more easily handled.  No doubt you've heard the phrase, "You negotiate what you sell."  In fact, it's a combination of effective sales and negotiation processes that will yield the best results for improving your odds in the negotiation marketplace.

But it's not only ineffective or nonexistent sales processes that cause negotiation problems.  In our next blog post, other issues will be discussed.

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