The more tradeables you can think of before you go into a negotiation, the better
This is because you can move in more steps, smaller ones, giving away less, always trading, always getting something back for each move.
Once you run out of tradeables you have to either walk away or concede unilaterally – or hope that the other party can come up with something tradeable – and none of those are great options.
So how do we get our list?
As yourself the follwoign 4 questions
- What do I ideally want included in this deal?
- What could they easily give me?
- What could I easily give them (in exchange for a better price, or in exchange for something else, of course!)
- What might they want from me, what would they value – if I was them, what would I be wanting?
.
Obvious tradeables are
- Larger contract
- Longer or sherter lead time / flexibility of delivery date
- Buy other products or services
- Help me deliver it
- Recommend me to others / publicity
- Better / more comprehensive job
- Better payment terms
- Regular contract
Here’s a massive list I made for a customer – it shows what can be done, and most of them might work for you too:
- Bulk purchase / pre-buying for future jobs
- Speaking of languages
- Financial advice for free
- Forecasting of future workload so you can plan
- Reapportion risk
- We’ll always ask you to quote
- Our land and buildings; empty space
- Keeping the price the same for a future period
- Inflation – price fixed or index linked
- Offer them the whole package
- Offer them just the best bits of the package and we’ll subcontract the rest to others
- Holding spares
- Combined mailings
- Put on the approved suppliers list
- Advertise / testimonials using our name (Buyer: “We use them”, Seller: “They buy from us”)
- Offering to be a reference site
- Payment spread over a longer time
- Payment methods e.g. direct debit
- Paying deposit / no deposit / size of deposit
- Penalty clauses / no penalty clauses
- Extension of time on a contract that’s running late
- We collect vs. you deliver
- We visit you for meetings
- Where will people be located?
- Flexibility
- Reusable packaging (tote trays etc)
- Not putting in writing as a contract but just doing it verbally
- Missing out the paperwork (could be a win/win!)
- Cap expenditure – it’ll never go above a certain level
- Buying for others as well / larger quantities = cheaper prices
- Offering on-site facilities, e.g. access to phone, fax, copier, desk space, use of dining room, parking
- Use our specialist equipment occasionally, for free or at reduced rate
- Quick delivery / we don’t mind waiting longer for it
- Helping them invest / we buy it and lease it to you
- Access to our knowledge, experts, & reports we’ve purchased
- Links to other departments / speed up the processes
- Put them in touch with people who have done similar things
- Add-ons, upgrades, support contracts
- Who does which bits of work – we do more, you do more
- Combined technical support / man-in-van
- If extra related work comes up during the job you’ll get it
- They can choose which bits of the package they do
- We’ll always buy from you for a future period
- Guaranteed volume – won’t go below a certain level
- Mobile number / access to help and decisions / access 24-7
- Sharing contacts: buyer tells who else they buy from / who else you could sell to; seller tells who else they sell to
- Information: prices and specifications of competitors
- Reduce standards required
- How experienced are the staff on this project?
- Who oversees the scheme / how will it be monitored?
- Interesting or fun work
- Able to try out experimental materials or methods
- Sole supply: we only buy from them / we only sell to them
- Free or reduced cost for training
- Bonuses/ unusual payment schemes
- Electronic exchange of information / access to information
- Length of contract
So – what’s your list….??
