In the vast field of foreign trade, negotiation is not only a task, but also an art. Mastering effective negotiation skills can not only enhance the understanding and trust between the two parties, but also promote the in-depth and lasting cooperation. This article will share some practical foreign trade negotiation skills to help you be more handy in foreign trade and improve the deal rate.
1. Don’t show your cards too early, and guide the negotiation step by step
We can prepare three price strategies: a price higher than the ideal price, an ideal price, and a price lower than the ideal price. In the early stage of the negotiation, you can first promote the product advantages and display a price list higher than the ideal price to observe the customer’s reaction. Then, based on the customer’s feedback, gradually lower the price standard and finally propose the ideal price. If the customer is still not satisfied, consider proposing the lowest price. This step-by-step guidance method can both maintain the flexibility of the negotiation and ensure the interests of the company.
2. Be sincere and engage in a sincere war
In the negotiation, sincerity and sincerity are crucial. When the customer shows a tough or cold attitude, we can adopt a sincere war strategy to express our willingness to value cooperation and emphasize the efforts made to obtain the best conditions. At the same time, some difficulties or challenges can be appropriately displayed to increase the customer’s understanding and sympathy. When necessary, some small benefits or gifts can be given to express sincerity.
3. Set appropriate “bait” and take the initiative
In negotiations, cleverly setting “bait” can help us take the initiative. For example, when a customer makes a counter-offer request, we can set a higher discount expectation and make a counter-offer based on this expectation. This can not only meet the customer’s expectations, but also ensure the interests of the company. At the same time, we must also be wary of the “bait” that customers may set, keep a clear head, and not be easily swayed by it.
4. Learn to exchange conditions and achieve a win-win situation
When customers make unacceptable requests, we can try to adopt the strategy of exchanging conditions. That is, while meeting a certain requirement of the customer, put forward our own conditions or requirements. This can not only balance the interests of both parties, but also promote the smooth progress of negotiations. By exchanging conditions, we can achieve a win-win situation so that both parties can get satisfactory results.
5. Know yourself and your enemy, and master the information advantage
Before the negotiation, it is crucial to fully understand the customer’s information and background. By collecting information from the customer’s website, social network, search engine, etc., we can understand the customer’s business, market, products and other aspects. At the same time, we must also learn to take the initiative to ask questions to customers during negotiations, further understand the customer’s needs and concerns, and lay the foundation for cooperation.
6. Formulate differentiated pricing strategies and flexibly respond to different customers
Different customers have different needs and expectations, so we need to formulate differentiated pricing strategies to deal with them. For European and American customers, they tend to pay more attention to product quality, delivery time and service, so we can appropriately increase prices while ensuring that quality and service meet customer expectations. For some third world countries, they may pay more attention to price and quantity, so we can formulate relatively low pricing strategies to meet their needs. By formulating differentiated pricing strategies, we can better meet the needs of different customers and increase the transaction rate.
7. Be sincere in solving problems and actively respond to customer complaints
In foreign trade, customer complaints are inevitable. When customers complain to us, we should face it with a positive attitude and show our sincerity in solving the problem. First of all, we should listen carefully to customers’ complaints and dissatisfaction to understand the root cause and essence of the problem. Then, we should actively look for ways to solve the problem, propose practical solutions, and show our sincerity and efforts to customers.
8. Do not waste customers’ time and efficiently promote the negotiation process
During the negotiation, we should respect customers’ time and avoid unnecessary delays and waste. Before the communication begins, it is best to determine the customer’s schedule in advance and try to cooperate. After we have discussed all the details with the customer, we must implement and execute them as soon as possible to ensure that the results of the negotiation can be transformed into actual business in a timely manner. By efficiently promoting the negotiation process, we can win the trust and respect of customers and create more opportunities for future cooperation.