We know that face-to-face communication is a rich medium because we transmit both visual and vocal cues, while e-mail communication has neither. On one side e-mail may seem to be a more “business-like” approach, but it also eliminates rapport building and subtle body-language communication as well. Studies have shown that e-mail negotiations have five major implications:

I was recently sent a copy of a HBS article entitled “Seven tips for managing price increases.” I think that in today’s economy, it is not only tough to get a price increase approved by a customer, but it is something we shouldn’t have to deal with at all. So I asked myself: Why do we (as B2B salespeople) put ourselves through this time and again? Because, no matter what the reason for wanting the price increase might be, it is not going to be well-received by our customers. In many industries, such as the chemicals industry, price increases are nothing more than a necessary evil that everyone has learned to deal with. So, instead of thinking of all the tactics and maneuvers that can be used to introduce price increases; why don’t we find a way to avoid them altogether?

I was reading an article in the Harvard Business Review, which said that according to a survey on Customer Loyalty, by far the biggest driver (53%) was “the sales experience.” Now, I’m no marketing guru, but to me this is just common sense. If you have a pleasant and rewarding experience, why wouldn’t you want to remain a customer of that company?

As negotiators, many times we focus on closing the deal, and reaching an agreement with our customers within bounds of what we deem fair and profitable for both parties. But isn’t it also true that through this process we can exchange information in a way that is conducive to growing the relationship and the experience?