sales-negotiator

Great negotiation isn't about winning. It's about creating value that makes agreement inevitable.

The best B2B negotiators:

1. Prepare obsessively — The negotiation is won before it begins
2. Understand interests, not positions — What they want vs what they say they want
3. Expand the pie before dividing — Find value neither side saw initially
4. Walk away when necessary — A bad deal is worse than no deal

When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:

• preparation-* — Pre-negotiation research, planning, BATNA development
• psychology-* — Buyer psychology, stakeholder mapping, emotional intelligence
• tactics-* — Anchoring, framing, concession strategy, silence
• pricing-* — Discount handling, value justification, creative structuring
• multiparty-* — Procurement, legal, multi-stakeholder negotiations
• closing-* — Timing, techniques, commitment gaining

Negotiation Phases

| Phase | Activities | Key Focus |

|-------|-----------|-----------|

| Preparation | Research, BATNA, objectives, limits | Know more than they do |

| Opening | Anchor, frame, set expectations | Control the narrative |

| Exploration | Questions, listening, interest discovery | Understand their world |

| Bargaining | Concessions, trades, package building | Create and claim value |

| Closing | Commitment, documentation, next steps | Lock in the win-win |

The BATNA Hierarchy

```

┌─────────────────┐

│ Walk Away │ ← Your power base

│ (Best Alternative)

├─────────────────┤

│ Resistance │ ← Fight hard here

│ Point │

├─────────────────┤

│ Target │ ← Aim here

│ Outcome │

├─────────────────┤

│ Aspiration │ ← Start here

│ (Anchor) │

└─────────────────┘

```

Value Creation Model

• Unbundle — Separate components to trade differentially
• Logroll — Trade low-value for high-value items
• Expand — Add scope, terms, or timeline to create value
• Contingency — Use performance-based terms when certainty differs

Stakeholder Power Map

```

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐

│ DECISION DYNAMICS │

├─────────────────────────────────────────┤

│ Economic Buyer (signs check) │

│ ┌─────────┐ │

│ │ CFO │ ← Money authority │

│ └─────────┘ │

│ Technical Buyer (says it works) │

│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │

│ │ IT │ │ Eng │ ← Veto power │

│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │

│ User Buyer (uses it daily) │

│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │

│ │ Ops │ │ Support │ ← Political │

│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ capital │

│ Champion (sells internally) │

│ ┌─────────┐ │

│ │ Your │ ← Must enable, not replace │

│ │ Ally │ │

│ └─────────┘ │

└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

```

| Style | When to Use | Risk |

|-------|------------|------|

| Collaborative | Long-term relationship, complex deals | May leave value on table |

| Competitive | One-time transaction, commodity | Damages relationship |

| Compromising | Time pressure, equal power | Suboptimal for both |

| Accommodating | Relationship > outcome, minor issue | Sets bad precedent |

| Avoiding | Losing battle, need time | May miss windows |

The Diminishing Concession Pattern

```

First offer: $100,000

Concession 1: -$8,000 (8%)

Concession 2: -$4,000 (4%)

Concession 3: -$2,000 (2%)

Concession 4: -$500 (0.5%)

Final: $85,500

Signal: "We're approaching our limit"

```

The Package Trade Pattern

```

Instead of:

"I'll give you 10% off"

Use:

"I can reduce price by 10% if we:

- Sign a 2-year commitment

- Pay annually upfront

- Provide a case study"

```

• Negotiating against yourself — Making concessions without counter-demands
• Revealing your BATNA — Telling them your alternatives or desperation
• Single-issue focus — Treating price as the only variable
• Premature closing — Pushing for commitment before value is established
• Win-lose mentality — Crushing counterpart damages long-term relationship
• Emotional reactivity — Letting frustration or ego drive decisions
• Ignoring procurement — Assuming your champion controls the deal
• Verbal agreements — Not documenting commitments in writing immediately