How do you conduct a good sales negotiation? 10 tips for success!

How do you conduct a successful sales negotiation ? In order to conduct a sales meeting, reach an agreement and convince the customer, salespeople need to prepare carefully and methodically. They also listen carefully to understand the prospect's motivations and know how to deal with objections.

Communication is at the heart of good customer relationship management: the decision to buy is not based solely on the price of a service or product. Between concessions, quid pro quo and sales techniques, the salesperson has a great deal of room for negotiation.

If you didn't go to business school or take any training, now's the time to read this article! Reveal your negotiating skills by following these 10 sales negotiation tips:

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What is commercial negotiation?

Before you can master negotiation techniques, you need to understand the basics: definition, types and issues. This initial phase will help you to develop a structured approach, in line with the commercial realities on the ground.

Commercial negotiation: definition

Commercial negotiation isn't just about discussing prices over a cup of coffee. It's a comprehensive strategy designed to build a lasting agreement between two parties: the customer and the seller. The key? A clear offer, a shared objective and a genuine commercial relationship with added value.

☝️ It's based on a structured process that combines :

• needs
• conditions,
• concessions
• and sometimes even compromise.

You have to listen, argue and negotiate every point without losing sight of the end goal: to reach a commercial agreement in everyone's interest. And behind this method lies a reality: for any company, knowing how to negotiate is as essential a commercial skill as a good product.

What types of commercial negotiation are there?

There are several types of commercial negotiation, and this is far from being a detail. Each situation, each customer, each offer imposes its own logic. Knowing them well will enable you to negotiate successfully, without losing effectiveness:

Cooperative negotiation

This is the type of negotiation based on listening, seeking a lasting agreement and taking into account the needs of both parties. This is the way to build a solid commercial relationship based on mutual trust.

Competitive negotiation

Here, the power struggle is head-on. Each party defends its position, price becomes a lever and concessions are rare. This is a direct technique, useful when margins are limited.

Complex negotiation

Several products, services or terms are involved. You need to manage the process, anticipate objectives and prepare properly. A good sales management tool is often essential.

Transactional negotiation

Targeted, rapid and widely used in direct sales. An offer is made and little discussion takes place. Practical in the field, but limited for building a real customer relationship.

Why is it essential to master the art of negotiation?

Sales negotiation is a bit like the basics. Without it, there can be no lasting relationship, no trust and even less successful sales. In every meeting, the professional must :

1. understand the customer's needs
2. defend their offer
3. handle objections
4. and keep an eye on their objectives.

👀 Nothing must escape their attention: neither the margin, nor the terms and conditions, nor the timeframe for the purchase. Mastering negotiation techniques means being able to adapt to anything: a product, a service, a tense situation, an unexpected request. You also need to know how to ask the right questions, bring out concerns and build a compelling value proposition. Not to convince at all costs, but to reach a balanced agreement!

The art of negotiation is an essential skill in an effective sales process. The negotiator must lead the discussion, steer the exchange and secure the deal. And if everything is well put together? Then the decision is made. Structured, fluid and clear. In short, reaching an agreement is no fluke. It's a profession. 🤓

Tip no. 1: prepare carefully for the sales meeting

To have a successful negotiation, you need to prepare beforehand. The best sales negotiation is one that results in a win-win agreement, where both seller and buyer feel they are getting a good deal.

The first technique in sales negotiation is therefore to define :

• all the criteria that can be discussed during the negotiation,
• the concessions you are prepared to make to the other party,
• the quid pro quos you can demand from your prospect or customer,
• the potential concessions the buyer is prepared to grant you.

During the various stages of a sales negotiation, the seller and buyer are likely to discuss a number of issues, such as :

• the quality of the product or service compared with that of competitors,
• the price
• delivery times
• payment terms
• possible options
• discounts and reductions under certain conditions,
• extended warranties,
• preferential-rate maintenance contracts, etc.

💡 A professional salesperson must therefore study the profile of the company or prospect he or she is approaching in order to make a sales proposal tailored to the customer's needs, and be ready for any eventuality by preparing his or her negotiating arguments in advance.

To prepare as well as possible, you need to gather and analyse as much information as possible beforehand. We recommend that you use CRM software such as Sellsy CRM. This way, all the information and interactions with your potential customers are centralised in a single tool for easy analysis. And thanks to the pipeline view and lead scoring, you can be sure of starting your sales negotiations at the right time, when your prospect is sufficiently mature.

Tip no. 2: Make an offer that's right for you from the outset

You have to be bold and set your sights high right from the start of the sales meeting. It's part of the game: the buyer expects an initial offer that puts him at a disadvantage, and the seller expects to be turned down on that initial offer.

This first sales proposal simply sets the bar very high: the aim of this sales technique is to put you in a position to negotiate afterwards.

Imagine salespeople starting their sales talks timidly, offering concessions from the outset: the buyer will not hesitate to take advantage of this and ask for more, in order to obtain even more advantages!

The salesperson therefore needs to establish a starting position and keep his or her breaking point in mind, i.e. a threshold of concessions that must not be exceeded, as this would be unfavourable to the salesperson and would harm the company's margin.

The salesperson thus has a margin for negotiation between a very high demand that he announces at the start of the sales meeting (and which is to his advantage) to the prospect, and the position that would be to his disadvantage.

Each party will therefore try to negotiate on criteria to obtain concessions from the other.

Tip 3: Don't give in to requests for concessions

The buyer's first comment is often "it's too expensive! ".

The salesperson's reflex should be to simply ask:

• What's expensive?
• It's expensive, but compared to what?
• the competitor's product is apparently cheaper, but is the quality up to scratch?
• What services are included in the price?

You've got it: you need to defend your position when faced with a request for a concession. That's why you need to prepare well in advance for your sales negotiation meeting.

Not resisting and giving in on the price may mean that your product is of poor quality: if you give in without discussion, the buyer may be suspicious.

But if you deal with this objection, you take the opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your product or service by positioning it in relation to your competitors!

If the customer recognises the quality of the product, but still finds your proposal too expensive, you need to know how to open up the conversation on other criteria to find negotiating points on which the buyer is prepared to make concessions...

Tip 4: Ask for something in return for each concession

In your preparations, you have listed the elements on which you are prepared to make concessions.

You don't have to make concessions, and the less you do, the more the negotiation will work in your favour.

The salesperson assesses and must identify what the customer wants to negotiate, the elements that really matter to them.

If the buyer asks for a concession, you have to show them that you are making an effort, but that you require something in return.

✅ Example of a successful commercial negotiation: if there is a point of disagreement on price, you can make an effort and your customer can commit on his side, in writing, to making regular orders over a set period. It's a win-win situation!

In this case, the negotiation results in a commercial agreement that satisfies both parties:

• the buyer has obtained an advantageous price,
• the seller has signed a contract with more orders.

When the sales assistant asks the prospect or customer for something in return, he opens the dialogue and obtains a negotiation point in exchange.

Tip 5: Reverse the roles to negotiate more effectively

When the buyer asks the seller to make a concession, he puts himself in the position of the demander.

The salesperson is prepared to grant this concession in exchange for something in return: the balance of power is then reversed and the salesperson takes on the role of the buyer for a while, who must be satisfied with the consideration offered!

This is a formidable technique for obtaining significant consideration by selling a concession to a customer: salespeople need to listen carefully beforehand to identify the most important negotiating point for the customer, what is of most interest to them.

It's a bit like playing chess: it's all a question of strategy, you have to know how to put your pawns (your sales arguments) forward at the right moment...

In this way, the seller seizes the most opportune moment to win one of the key elements he wanted to obtain from the negotiation.

Tip no. 6: know how to give as little as possible

Knowing how to make concessions by demanding something in return is essential, but the aim is to make as few concessions as possible, and above all to do so sparingly and patiently...

The objective for the hunter that is the salesperson is to gain ground on the adversary, little by little. A good salesperson never gives up: like a skilled poker player, they don't play all their best cards at the start of the game.

There's nothing better than finding out what your opponent is up to by taking things one step at a time: in this way, salespeople defend their positions to obtain the best possible sales negotiation.

Giving in to the first objection means starting a negotiation backwards: the customer will take advantage of the opportunity to ask for other advantages, because he will have identified an "easy prey".

That's why you need to know how to deal with objections, sometimes being conciliatory, but demanding something in return, and knowing how to back down in a calculated way, bearing in mind the room for negotiation.

Tip 7: Keep control of the negotiation

Some managers digress in the course of the conversation, either to "drown out the fish" and make you forget the consideration you have asked for, or simply because they are very talkative.

You can take advantage of this to create a degree of closeness and reinforce a climate conducive to negotiation (we are all human, after all), but you must not linger and gently refocus your contact on the main subject of your exchange.

An excellent salesperson leads the negotiation, not suffers it. He or she guides the customer to where he or she wants to take him or her, which means listening and getting the customer to talk so as to understand and identify what is important to him or her, and then knowing how to negotiate to his or her advantage.

To deal with aggressive behaviour and ease the sometimes palpable tension, we recommend that you :

• Keep calm,
• remain courteous
• and even invite the other person to take a break over a coffee.

There's no need to make yourself ill: just ask the person what they're upset about.

You'll get a better understanding of their behaviour and the person you're talking to will notice your ability to listen and your willingness to resolve points of disagreement, so they'll calm down more easily.

Tip 8: Pause a point of disagreement

Are you dealing with a difficult customer who won't give up? Is the customer demanding too much in terms of price and unwilling to give up anything in return?

Don't remain at an impasse: offer to make a note of the point and come back to it later.

By getting to know the person you are dealing with, you can identify other opportunities that will enable you to return to the original point of disagreement with a solution that satisfies both parties.

✅ Example of a successful commercial negotiation:

• the customer demands a price that is much too low;
• the sales assistant suggests putting this point of negotiation "on hold" and promises to come back to it later;
• during the negotiation, the sales assistant realises that the customer is having problems with his stock of goods and that his suppliers don't always deliver on time;
• the seller takes the opportunity to offer the buyer a better price in exchange for an exclusive contract for the goods; this contract commits the seller to delivering the quantity of goods within the agreed timeframe;
• the buyer sees a concrete solution to his problems and accepts the proposal;
• the seller and the buyer have both made a good deal.

Tip no. 9: Don't waste time with a customer who doesn't want to know anything

You've tried everything, you've been patient, you've listened to your customer's expectations and you've made several proposals that are advantageous to both parties, but your contact doesn't want to know anything.

It's rare for a prospect to want to win on all counts or to be dishonest or act in bad faith, but it can happen.

In this case, it's best to cut the sales meeting short: you won't be selling, except at a loss.

Some prospects are customers to be avoided: they won't make any concessions or give anything in return. You have to wonder whether they really want to do business.

The better prepared a salesperson is, the quicker he or she will detect this type of customer.

This should not be seen as a failure, but as a waste of time that should be kept to a minimum, so that you can concentrate on customers who are really worthwhile.

Tip no. 10: Close the deal with a written, signed contract

The seller and buyer are in agreement on all the terms of the negotiation. The closing of a sale must result in a contract that commits the customer and the seller in writing: only a signed contract has any market value.

The seller must put down in writing all the elements and conditions that have been negotiated: words fly, writing remains.

Never put off signing a contract: you have to strike while the iron is hot. Your customer may try to renegotiate at a later date, even though they were in agreement with you at the first sales meeting.

It is therefore up to the salesperson to conclude the sale with a signed document that validates and sets out the terms of the commercial agreement.

The usual handshake only comes afterwards. You should also say "thank you" to your contact for welcoming you and listening to you.

Make sure you've made a good impression: a positive opinion from a customer maintains the company's good image!

Sales negotiation in practice requires the use of high-performance tools: salespeople need solutions for centralising information within a shared customer file and for carrying out personalised follow-up.

Sales development is organised more efficiently when information is shared with the whole sales team: the CRM tool makes salespeople more effective in their prospecting.

For example, the ultra-flexible and customisable EfficyCRM solution boosts the productivity of your sales teams thanks to a host of sales process automation features. Lead Scoring, a customer repository and a portfolio of offers make it easy to manage all your customer cycles efficiently!

Not the ideal time to make an appointment with a particular customer? Enter a reminder in a month's time: you'll be able to prospect that person at the right time!

Sales reps know at all times where they are in the relationship with each customer, in particular :

• whether the prospect has become a customer,
• what they have bought
• current orders,
• payments made
• deliveries in progress
• etc.

The secret of successful customer relationship management is alignment between the marketing and sales departments : using the same information, prospects and customers receive personalised offers and better-targeted sales proposals.

B2B sales negotiation: how does it differ from B2C?

B2B or B2C, we're still talking about sales, but not at the same pace or with the same challenges. What changes? The cycle, the type of customer, the resources used and above all... the way the sales negotiation is conducted.

In B2B

You're often dealing with several different people. You have to prepare each stage, adapt your sales pitch and sometimes even propose a personalised solution for each department involved.

🎯 The aim is not just to close a deal, but to build a lasting commercial relationship. This means anticipating, understanding needs, concerns and sometimes even the emotions behind decisions. In short, you have to adopt a solid strategy, move forward methodically and think long-term.

In B2C

It's often more direct. The salesperson talks to a single person, at a physical point of sale or on a website. You get straight to the point, the commercial offer is clear, and the purchase is often made on the spur of the moment.

☝️ But be careful: this does not mean that you should neglect active listening or persuasion. They're just different sales techniques.

To sum up:

• B2C: focus on speed and efficiency,

• B2B: requires time, tools and thorough preparation to reach a win-win commercial agreement.

What tools are available for successful negotiation?

In a commercial negotiation, every detail counts: the initial contact, the proposal, the response... but also the resources used to facilitate each stage of the process. And there is a whole range of levers to help sales teams hit the bull's eye.

Here are the essential ones to incorporate into your strategy:

• CRM: at the heart of customer relations, these platforms structure exchanges, centralise information and boost preparation before each sales meeting.

• Sales management solutions: these enable you to monitor each sales offer, calculate your negotiating margin and manage your actions without wasting a second.

• Electronic signature modules: when everything's ready, you might as well get it done quickly. These systems shorten lead times, avoid friction and make the sale go more smoothly (and more quickly).

• Sales aids: simulators, discussion guides, product or service sheets... anything that can structure the sales pitch and address the prospect's concerns.

And it's not just a question of saving time. These resources free up your mental space, refocus the person you're talking to on the customer and improve the quality of the discussions. The result? Less improvisation and more value. ✅ Successful sales negotiation depends not only on the talent of the salesperson, but also on your ability to prepare each phase of the negotiation with the right support.

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Conclusion on commercial negotiation

Mastering sales negotiation isn't just another skill to tick off your CV. It's a winning strategy, a real lever for reaching a solid agreement, creating a lasting customer relationship and, above all, making a difference in a constantly changing commercial world.

By integrating the right sales techniques, rigorous upstream work, active listening and a good dose of adaptability, every salesperson can transform a simple discussion into a concrete result. Success doesn't happen by chance: it's based on a clear approach, a well-defined objective and an intelligent negotiation process. In short, in business, if you know how to negotiate, you don't chase a signature: you reach an agreement. And that's anything but a detail.