Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Negotiating a Used Car

When you go to the car lot, in most cases, you subconsciously prepare yourself to get ready for whatever the salesman is going to tell you in order for him to get the deal that he is looking for that will help him or her maximize on their commission. Even though you prepare your mind in a defensive mode, you still lack the negotiation skills that will get you the best deal that you want. I will help you with the necessary skills in order for you to get the best deal possible and drive the car off the lot.
One thing that I might want to mention to you is that you will need to do your homework on the car that you are looking to buy. If you are buying a used car, then you will need to go to sites such as autotrader.com and other car sites that will get you information on the prior owner of the car as well as important information that you can match with the seller so that you can compare apples to apples. Once you do this, you will want to take that information on the lot as your basis for negotiation.
Allow the salesman to guide you through the sales process on the lot. Wait until you are inside the show room before you show him the information about the car you are trying to buy. Don't present the information first. Wait until him or shows you their information first. Once they are finished with their presentation, ask for their information and compare it with your info.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recessionary Times Call For Negotiation Skills

It appears that we're in the most significant recession since the Great Depression of the 1930's. Time will tell, of course, but the current period is presenting small businesses everywhere with an excess of difficulties and unusual situations which they must surmount to have any possible chance of achieving success. Quite a few business owners and managers are looking into executive management coaching, as they're now searching for expert advice from business coaches on matters which are of crucial importance to their ongoing business enterprises.
In order to survive a recession, business owners must hone their negotiation skills. Negotiation will come into play on a regular basis as different situations and scenarios arise which need to be addressed. In this environment, your level of negotiation skills could mean the difference between surviving or not.
When should you negotiate? Every good business coach will tell you that you need to be able to achieve a win-win situation in all your business dealings. This may include negotiations between suppliers, between the employer or employee, and negotiations between the business and its clients. There is pressure on every organization during this downturn, and this leads to additional difficulties in normal day-to-day discussions and operations. In these cases, good negotiation skills are paramount to make sure that business is not compromised.
To prepare to negotiate yourself through recession, business coach strategies tell you to follow some key steps:
First of all, always strive to be prepared and flexible while working toward a mutually beneficial outcome - the win-win situation, again. You can be sure that if the other party figures that they have been taken advantage of in this vulnerable situation, there will be repercussions. They might then choose to re-evaluate the situation, and become increasingly difficult as they adopt the 'winner take all' mindset, themselves. When all parties truly adopt the win-win attitude, the outcome will most likely be significantly better in the end than either party had anticipated.
Secondly, it is vitally important that you be prepared and plan well for the process. Listen to your business coach when he tells you that you should anticipate what the other side is really looking for and further anticipate any stumbling blocks. By investigating creative solutions in advance, you will be prepared for the toughest negotiating environment.
The third point, which is also of particular importance in these hard-hit economic times, is to ensure that all of the individuals, or rather the potentially effected individuals, are involved. For example, negotiations at a high level between a business and government could very well impact an employees' union, and if so, this party should also be at the table.
A final point to remember is that you must keep an open mind and be as flexible as possible all the way through the procedure, even when the going gets seemingly impossible. Don't be tempted to label the other party as irrational, as this is a closed statement does not allow for movement in either direction. Once again, remember that the outcome is to achieve a winning situation for all concerned.
Don't forget to seek the advice of a good business coach, especially in these delicate times. The executive coach will have considerable experience of, and understand the importance of negotiation. Even in times of heavy recession, negotiations should lead to a winning outcome for all concerned.