Negotiating: Just shut the briefcase

True story: A new sales rep on a joint call with his sales manager was mired in a difficult situation. The prospect kept making one demand after another and putting up roadblocks.

After about 40 minutes, the sales manager had heard enough.

He stood up and said, “Gentlemen, thanks for your time, but it appears we cannot do business.” He shook hands all around, turned and walked out, with the shocked young rep in tow.

You guessed it: Before they reached the reception area, the buyer called the pair back in, and the deal was done five minutes later.

When you get caught up in the sales process, it’s tempting to keep plugging away. But sometimes you need to do something dramatic to change the game.

The sales manager’s action wasn’t a bluff. If the prospect had let them walk away, chances are the deal was going nowhere anyway.

If a prospect doesn’t see it or want that value, there’s a point of diminishing returns in continuing to try to convince them of it.

Source: A blog posting by Jeremy Miller. For more, visit www.stickybranding.com