How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 92

you do, be sure that anything you share is fully verifiable.
4. Demonstrate Your Expertise
Who would you be more apt to buy from – someone who knows the
basics about your industry or someone who you see as an expert in your
field? As you work with the customer, demonstrate that you understand
what you are presenting to them. Share information that shows you
understand their field, the upcoming trends, and the challenges people in
that industry are facing. You’ll instil confidence in the customer to choose
your product or service over the next provider.

7.2 Persuasion During Negotiations
There are several things you should do before negotiations begin in
earnest. Negotiations require that you are able to persuade the other party
of your terms, conditions, or requests. First, you should be certain that you
understand any objections that have already been raised – the root of them
as well as possible causes for them. You should be sure that you have
presented your proposal in terms of the value that it offers the client – in
every sense possible. You need to be sure that you have adopted the right
attitude for negotiating – that is, the attitude that will make you most
persuasive. And finally, you need to know for certain where your ‘lines in
the sand’ are. These are the conditions that you have to have met in order
for an agreement to be reached, without which you are willing to walk
away.

7.2.1 Identifying the Root of the Objection
Customers may tell you directly why they are objecting, but they might
not. They might try to be polite or evasive, or they simply might not be
comfortable expressing themselves directly. So it will be your job to
explore the objection in order to get to the root of it. You will need to
listen to the client – both to what is being said and what is not being said.
Start by asking some questions that will help uncover the root of the
objection. The exact questions you use will vary depending on what the
client says, but some possible examples include:

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