Winner takes all only gets you nothing

You used a “competitor’s bid” to get the price down. You got the delivery time you needed by stretching the truth about your needs. You made them wait on hold for no reason at all, playing another round of Tetris to pass the time. You requested more information on the advantages of his product knowing full well that this was THE product you wanted and needed.

Deception was the name of the game, and the game is won.

Or is it?

On that far-off horizon, I have that same look in my eye. The Victor. I have exaggerated the quality of my product, started the price war with a 65-per-cent mark-up, took care of more important clients while on hold with you, and neglected to mention the fact that we ran out of stock three weeks ago and are not expecting more until next month. But once you pay, it is non-refundable anyway, so what can you do?

OK, OK.

This may be the Hollywood-Mel Gibson version of the sales process, but it really is only a slight stretch from the real world. Usually, at least one or more of these are bang on the money. And while there certainly are some immediate spoils to the victor, in the long term even the greatest dictators, despots and maniacal generals fell before they had to, if they had only changed their tunes. And those who were the cruelest often paid the highest price.

'But what can I do,' you ask? If I go the other route, I get taken advantage of, ripped off. I miss out on the big promotion, the big accounts.

There is a better way, and it comes from one simple starting point: Respect.

Those who are respected and not feared are those who will draw loyalty quickest, reap the greatest rewards, and be inspirations to those around them, even after they are long gone.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was such a man. So was John F. Kennedy, who was the youngest President ever elected based mostly on the respect he gained from those who met him. Muhammad Ali talked a big game, but at the heart of it all, he respected every opponent he beat. Today, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are such men.

But how did they get that respect from such a great number in such a short time?

The answer is just as simple: Their actions drew respect from those around them. In other words, they earned it.

Kennedy received the Purple Heart after his boat was sunk in World War II and he pulled a wounded man almost 5 kilometres through the sea, and he did it with a crippling back ailment that he lied about to get himself into the service. As president, he accepted sole responsibility for the disaster in Cuba. While the whole world was watching, he admitted he made a mistake while sitting in the world’s ultimate hot seat.

In the world we live in today, it is still about how actions speak louder than words. Your position does not gain you respect, your actions do. Your title means nothing if it is won on the broken backs of those you left behind. People may fear you, but you will never win the Respect which is the key that opens all doors.

This is never truer than when you are in the negotiation process.

If you are the seller, be honest about your product, including its flaws; and especially if those flaws go against the client’s needs. Offer a fair price for the product, one that reflects the market. You never know who your client calls a friend -- it just may be another client you are giving the market price to. Work with the customer, do not exploit them. Be honest about what you can deliver and when.

As the buyer, be open about your ability to pay, what you are willing to give in exchange for the product. Ask for a market analysis, if applicable, to justify the cost. Don’t make up information to try and squeeze the seller; even if they are only half-decent, you can bet he knows something about his competition. If you have all the answers you want, do not stall by making more needless requests. This will only frustrate the seller, leaving them less willing to meet you half-way on the more important issues. Instead, tell them where you are in the decision process, and how that decision will be made.

And no matter which side you are on, make promises and keep them, keeping the other in the know, not in the dark.

Funny thing about what I just described, it sounds a lot like a marriage. And anyone in one (as I am) knows that without respect, the relationship is destined to fizzle out and die. The potential for that union will never be really known. All because the two people were more interested in actions based on victory as opposed to unity.

This week’s 'Cold Call' should be obvious. If not, go back and read this again. Act in ways that harvest respect. Do not sell the farm to get it done, but do not take them for the proverbial ride, either. Be fair. Be honest. Be truthful. Be Respect. JFK’s life was cut short not for his cruelties, but because the world was not ready for someone whose actions commanded so much respect from so many. That is a legacy we should all be proud to leave behind.

Have a great sales week!

(Questions or comments? Ideas for future articles? Please send me an e-mail to salesxchange@gmail.com )