Do you know how to say “No” to a Client?

When you are in the final stages of negotiation, sometimes there is a need to say “no.”

The problem is how to do it without making the negotiation go down the drain.

Both parties want to get the best they can out of the deal.

Often negotiation is focused on price, but other conditions can be negotiated, such as contractual conditions, delivery dates, product or service options, etc.

Many of your Clients are excellent negotiators.

And if you don’t pay enough attention and not entirely focused on every detail of the negotiation, you are often “duped.”

Sometimes it is necessary to say no to something that your Client asks.

The simplest way to do this is “not” to do it right away.

That is, instead of saying “no” straight away, you should first ask questions to understand the real need of the Client so that you know what they are asking.

Some needs they have are from real needs.

Real needs represent real value (money) for your Client.

Others represent strategies to get a better bargaining position or merely to keep the negotiation moving.

When you understand the real value, you can much more easily decide which strategy you should use.

Therefore, questions such as:

• “Mr. Client, it is indeed an important issue, but by the way, please help me to understand why it is so important to your business.”
• “How would that help you?”

Tend to be crucial to understand the Client’s strategy and even disarm their real intent.

When you understand the actual need of the Client, you can say “no” in a much kinder and polite way.

The key to effective negotiation are:

• Listening to the end before answering
• Being calm, not giving in to pressures
• Being patient, knowing that the game takes time to play
• Validating all issues and their perception by both parties
• Having and following a strategy

All of this represents the core of a top negotiator.

A top negotiator knows that every sale is an endless negotiation.

Sometimes you start negotiating from the first contact with your Client, even though you are not aware of this.

So now you know! Before you answer “no,” stop, take a deep breath, and understand your Client’s real reasons when negotiating.

---

Also published on Medium.