Some sales negotiations go smoothly. They build momentum and move toward a clear next step. But what happens if things slow to a crawl? Stalled negotiations can drain your time and your patience. You’ve laid out your value, and they’ve brought up their concerns, but you’re stuck in the same conversation.

If you notice this happening, a post on the SOCO blog says the first step is to identify the likely cause for the stall. For example, maybe the prospect doesn’t have any urgency to buy now or maybe they need to involve more people in the decision-making process. Whatever the case may be, you can often overcome the stall by following 5 steps. We outline these steps in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

  1. Don’t be hostile. Remember the old adage: It’s easier to catch bees with honey than with vinegar. The post recommends making an appropriate joke to cut any tension or offering a small token to change the negotiation if you feel it’s not going anywhere. While you might not get everything you want, the post says giving a little to get a lot in return can prove very beneficial.

  2. Practice good listening techniques. In other words, make eye contact and truly hear what the other person is saying. The SOCO post says asking open-ended questions can help clear up any confusion or bring out any miscommunication.

  3. Use the salami tactic. According to the SOCO post, if the issue seems too large to overcome, break it down piece by piece. Then, resolve each piece individually. If you want forward movement, both parties need to understand the issue.

  4. Find commonality. This helps both parties in stalled negotiations because they can better understand each other and the issue. When the conversation keeps going in circles, people tend to focus mostly on their differences. To get things rolling again, focus on mutual gains rather than where you’re hitting a roadblock.

  5. Propose alternatives. If things aren’t going anywhere and there’s no way around it, try giving the prospect some other options. The post says going into a negotiation with at least 2 options (or stepping away to come up with another option or 2) is a smart move to ensure you don’t spend time talking to a brick wall.

If it seems like you’re just spinning your wheels in negotiations, don’t push harder. Instead, reframe the conversation. Stay flexible and try to reset the emotional temperature. When you use silence strategically and give the prospect a wider variety of options, you can often get stalled negotiations moving again.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A blog post from SOCO Sales Training, an award-winning sales optimization company that helps build high-performance sales teams.