Seven
Questions About Negotiating with Customers with Myra
Golden
1.
Is it wise to make concessions when negotiating with
customers?
Every
negotiator, even savvy executives, concedes from time to
time and as long as the concession makes good business
sense, it's okay. BUT - and this is a BIG but - you need
to be aware of what your concessions are saying to
customers. A
large concession on your part tells the customer he can
get a lot more, so he may press you for more. Rapid
concessions undermined your company's creditability.
Only make concessions if you have considered all of the
alternatives, you feel it will maintain the customer's
loyalty, and when it balances the interests of both your
customer and your company.
2.
How do you respond in a negotiation with a customer when
the customer's demand is unreasonable?
I
use 5 little magic words: "That
sounds a little high."
And then you pause. No matter what dollar amount
the customer puts out, just state the 5 magic words and
then sit back and wait for their response. Most people
become increasingly uncomfortable with silence and will
feel compelled to respond. Most likely, your customer
will either make a more reasonable request, or they will
try to justify their request.
3.
What do you do when you find yourself in a
deadlock with the customer in negotiation situation?
That is, what do you do when the customer isn't
accepting your offer and you are not willing to concede?
Don't
allow the customer to push you into a corner. Here's a
phrase that will help you set and enforce your limits,
while at the same time moving the conversation forward:
"We see this
differently, and I am going to have to put more thought
into the perspective you have shared with me. It's
helpful to me to understand how you see things. In the
meantime, here is what I can do to solve the immediate
problem."
4.
Is it appropriate to negotiate with a difficult customer
who is actually responsible for the problem they are
complaining about?
I
am not for compensating customers when the problem is
clearly their fault. Never forget, today's
exception becomes tomorrow's expectation. Customers
have eternal memory, and they'll expect you to give in
again if they encounter the same "human"
error. Here's how I'd respond to the customer when the
problem is clearly their fault:
"We
appreciate hearing about your experience, but we cannot
compensate you in this matter because you failed to
follow instructions (or misused the product, etc.)"
5.
Should frontline customer service employees be
involved in negotiations with customers or should this
always be the responsibility of supervisory or
management employees?
As
long as employees are trained, empowered, confident, and
known to make good judgment, they can negotiate with Call Center Training, Call Center Agent Trainingcustomers. Having
said that, it's often a good move for frontline customer
service representatives to admit early on that they
don't have the final say in a negotiation. (Even when
they do have the final word, this is a good move.)
Admitting this gives the representative a graceful
exit, should negotiations become deadlocked.
6.
What are some of the most common tactics customers use
to paint companies into a corner in a negotiation
situation?
There
are many tricky tactics customers will use when
negotiating. When
it comes to negotiating a settlement in a product
liability complaint, a common tactic is the use of
hypothetical questions. An example hypothetical question
is "If my 3
year old son had bitten into the hamburger that had the
piece of glass in it, don't you agree that he could have
been in serious condition?" This is clearly a
setup and you cannot answer the question.
Get the customer focused on solving the actual
problem that did occur and nothing more.
7.
Is it appropriate to negotiate with customers via email?
Yes,
it is. Ten years ago I would have answered differently,
but today email is the preferred communication medium of
many of your customers. You need to know that email
negotiations tend to take longer than phone and face to
face negotiations and email negotiations are less likely
to end in agreement. If things become tricky via email,
pick up the phone and call your customer.
Featured
Resource...
How
to Negotiate with Customers
10
Strategies for Negotiating with Crafty, Cunning, &
Unreasonable Customers
An
On-demand webinar
Read
course outline
In
a public web seminar, Myra Golden reveals shares strategies
for negotiating with customers you can't afford to lose
and unreasonable customers.
Participants
of this training will learn strategies to negotiate with
customers you can't afford to lose and unreasonable
customers. Attend and you and your team will
learn:
- How
to lay a foundation for resolution - so
that you can make better deals with customers (even
unreasonable customers)
- Why
empathy has no place in negotiations with tough
customers.
- The
first step you MUST take when negotiating with an
angry customer - if
you fail to take this step, you WILL spend more
money than you should and you'll feel awful.
- Hear
a STRONG case FOR apologizing to customers - discover
why a simple apology can diffuse anger, help
customers cut to the chase, and minimize emotions.
- A
strategy that ALWAYS works - know
your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated
Agreement) .This is a strategy used by all of the
pros and it will work for you.
- 5
rules for having tough conversations.
Learn the importance of taking control, having the
last word, and 3 other crucial rules.
- How
to regain control by using the "Pause"
button - Pausing
is a subtle, but effective strategy that can be used
to intimidate, inspire awe, or just leave others in
the dust!
- How
to set limits with customers - AND
stick to them!
- 2
mistakes you can't afford to make when negotiating
with customers.
- 7
secrets for moving customers out of a hardball
mentality - you'll love these!
- How
to nail the customer that tries to manipulate with
anger- three
simple, but powerful techniques.
- 4
things to never do in a negotiation. Knowing
these "don'ts" makes all the difference.
- Why
you need to beware of hypothetical questions.
- How
to call a customer on a negotiation ploy - a
proven 2-step response is all it takes to call a
bluff with finesse.
·
3
simple questions to put you back in control of any
conversation.
This includes conversations with ramblers, difficult
customers, and know-it-alls
- 3
questions you need to ask yourself before making any
concessions - these
questions will help ensure you don't "give the
store away" in an attempt to reach win win
agreements.
- How
to analyze the concessions your customer makes.
What
do large concessions tell you? Small concessions?
What about quick concessions? There's a hidden
meaning behind EVERY concession.
·
Why
today's exception becomes tomorrow's expectation.
Plus
·
15
Great Phrases for Breaking Through Standoffs,
Stalemates, and Deadlocks
And
like all my webinars - you'll get much, much
more !
All
subscribers
to the Call Center Webinars'
Annual Subscription will get a video recording of this
seminar AND the entire seminar on MP3 so
it can be used over and over again for refresher
training or new hire training!
How
to Negotiate with Customers
10
Strategies for Negotiating with Crafty, Cunning, &
Unreasonable Customers
An
On-demand webinar
Read
course outline
Since 1999 Myra Golden
has been president of a successful training &
development firm. Her firm provides measurably effective
training for some of the world's best-known companies,
including: Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Johnson & Johnson,
Procter & Gamble, and Frito-Lay.
