Powerful Negotiations

Sales Agents - Even though you may not be the final decision maker when it comes to a new home negotiation, you are at the core of a sale!  Your Builder relies on you to relay all of the credible information about the buyer and what they are looking for in the negotiation. 

You must be able to draw the fine line of getting the Builder what they need and the Buyer what they need!  When you build win-win strategies, you win too.  Not always an easy task, especially in this market.  Creating win-win situations is at the core of powerful negotiations.  Knowing all the skills of negotiations is an unconventional sales weapon and tactic that any successful sales person can't live without.

In order to know if you have a viable deal, you must know all aspects of a negotiation.  Negotiation skills range from body language, to verbal clues, to developing trust, to listening skills to power words, to opening maneuvers to gaining the higher ground and of course how to keep the deal together. You need to be able to counter buyers who want rock bottom pricing and deals.  Let's just talk about one aspect of negotiations.

Price:

A majority of prospects will not buy on price alone. The American retailers associations found that only 14 percent of consumers purchase solely on price.  That means there is plenty of business out there where you don't have to be the lowest cost.

You will always have competitors whose prices may be lower.  Then it's time to sell value, quality, location, delivery, reputation, service, support, terms and any other assets you have in your artillery.  You must be ready for this objection and practice your scripting over and over until you have a quick, natural response to individual pricing objections.

Here are just a few reasons why people will pay more:

• Knowledgeable sales force
• Trust
• Reputation
• Location
• Company stability
• Popularity
• Higher quality
• Scarcity
• Value
• Delivery times
• Service
• Socially conscious companies
• Energy efficient items
• Long term savings
• Neighborhood amenities
• Financing options
• Included upgraded options. 

As the Salesperson you must always know your Builder's bottom line and your buyer's bottom line so you can structure a strategy that achieves a sale and everyone is happy.  Active listening really help you achieve this task.  You may have to think about a few moves or counter offers that may occur, just as if you were playing a game of chess.  You know the old saying, "Never show 'em your cards"?  Never let your Buyer know your Builder's bottom line or the full incentives being offered.  You can use those incentives to gain momentum on counter offers.  Never print your incentives out on your pricing sheet or give them fully away when asked directly.  When you practice these simple negotiating tactics, everyone involved in the deal, feels like they are getting what they need to get the deal done!

This is the time when Builders and Sales Agents need to make the most of every prospective buyer who walks through the door, overcoming pricing objections is one big way to gain the advantage over your competition.

Shirleen Von Hoffmann is President & Builder Consultant of Homebuilders AdvantEdge which specializes in Secret Shopping, Sales Training, Seminars, One-on-One onsite training, coaching, and builder consultation. Learn more by visiting Shirleen's profile.