If you’ve already been involved in a billion dollar negotiation, you probably know how nerve-wracking it can be, and how much pressure it is put on all participants. Based on the difficulty level of a negotiation, there must be taken into account several things, and in most cases a list with objectives must be put together. Generally speaking, the salesperson on the account has most of these responsibilities; he supervises the entire negotiations process and he needs to make sure that everything goes on smoothly.
These are arduous, intricate tasks that will take a long time to achieve. They imply hard work and dedication, mainly if we’re talking about closing deals with major companies. Since business people can’t perform all these tasks alone, a proficient business negotiation team has to be put together to deal with issues that might appear, and perform the work faster and more effectively.
In the following rows you are explained exactly why a negotiation team would benefit your company, how it can help your business grow by closing more convenient deals, along with several ways to motivate and improve your team’s performance.
Select a capable leader
Every team needs a leader to coordinate actions, make plans, and supervise processes, making sure that everything goes by the book. In general, a salesperson will need to take care of most tasks related to customer negotiation, but if there’s a team member who is hard working, who seems to be completely dedicated, and who is really passionate about what they’re doing, you should give them the leading position. They will surely do a great job taking care of everything, and you’ll not be disappointed.
Establish internal timelines
This is probably the most common tip to supercharge your negotiation team. It will benefit them greatly, and it implies setting different assignments and goals in order to determine them to be more organized and motivated. Testing their limits and putting their skills to the test is a great way of finding out if your team is truly qualified to handle negotiations.
Support creativity
You negotiation team is supposed to aid you during the preparation process, by presenting new ideas, new strategies, or tactics; therefore, if you want them to be really good, you need to support creativity in several ways, and motivate your people to use their imagination without being afraid you’re get angry.
Be prepared to face the unexpected
Unexpected problems occur all the time and you can never foresee them. Still, although you can’t do anything about them, you can find new ways to deal with the issues. Plus, if you really have a great team, they’ll be able to move, think, and act fast, thus dealing with problems in no time. Still, they may need a little training and experience. Remember that two minds are better than one, and this applies perfectly in negotiations.
Preserve an extensive repertoire when negotiating
Last but not least, when negotiation advised to come up with smart plans, and your negotiation team can help you with that. You can work together to develop strategies and tactics, plus you will also be able to look at the overall situation from different angles. In most cases, perspective plays a huge role, and it can help you approach the situation in an appropriate and advantageous way, as well as determine inadmissible mistakes.
With the right team by your side, you’re likely to take the right decisions; thus, you shouldn’t hesitate in asking your crew to come up with a series of fine strategies, and if you want to motivate them even more, you could reward the best team members, offer prizes, or make them see the whole thing as a collegial competition. On the top of everything, the one who comes with the best idea will have the chance to see his strategy in use during a multi-million dollar negotiation, and that’s a really big deal!
The key to motivating your negotiation team is to challenge them. Put them in difficult situations, test their limits, and rewards them. Supercharging your team is an excellent way of strengthening their character. The business world doesn’t need weak links; it needs strong, decisive negotiators who want to close deals without blinking an eye.