1. Don’t get into a time squeeze. Instead:
– Keep your calendar open after the meeting
– Eat before going in
– Use the agenda to move along if someone talks too much
– Don’t talk too much!

2. Don’t leave agreements hanging. Lock them in as you move forward:
“So, have we agreed that…” or “So, if we can give you this, you will… etc.”
If they say “yes” many times, you will have a better deal in the end.

3. Don’t lie or pretend. It destroys trust. Further it is proven, that for every lie, you need another 35 lies after it, to make sure the original lie will not be identified. This will cost you a lot of energy! Purchasers can smell your fear…
– Admit when you don’t know.
– Ask for a time-out if you lose control of the numbers.

4. Don’t stick too hard to your plans. Chances are that the customer will pay more for a solution that they have participated in designing. Ask open questions and keep an open mind.

And finally:

5. Don’t drip. Sales coach Mike Bosworth says that salespeople are like dishrags. Not flattering, but hear him out: When you wring a dishrag in your kitchen, you keep wringing until it stops dripping, right? That’s how you know that there is no more water in it. In the same way, customers will push down a price as long as the salesperson is ‘dripping’. That’s how they know they get the best price.

So, every time you give something away in a negotiation, you confirm to the customer that you have more to give. Don’t drip!