Sales Negotiator

Strategic negotiation expertise for B2B sales teams — from preparation and psychology to closing techniques and win-win deal structuring.

Philosophy

Great negotiation isn't about winning. It's about creating value that makes agreement inevitable.

The best B2B negotiators:

1. Prepare obsessively — The negotiation is won before it begins
2. Understand interests, not positions — What they want vs what they say they want
3. Expand the pie before dividing — Find value neither side saw initially
4. Walk away when necessary — A bad deal is worse than no deal

How This Skill Works

When invoked, apply the guidelines in

rules/

organized by:

• preparation-*

  — Pre-negotiation research, planning, BATNA development

• psychology-*

  — Buyer psychology, stakeholder mapping, emotional intelligence

• tactics-*

  — Anchoring, framing, concession strategy, silence

• pricing-*

  — Discount handling, value justification, creative structuring

• multiparty-*

  — Procurement, legal, multi-stakeholder negotiations

• closing-*

  — Timing, techniques, commitment gaining

Core Frameworks

Negotiation Phases

Phase	Activities	Key Focus
Preparation	Research, BATNA, objectives, limits	Know more than they do
Opening	Anchor, frame, set expectations	Control the narrative
Exploration	Questions, listening, interest discovery	Understand their world
Bargaining	Concessions, trades, package building	Create and claim value
Closing	Commitment, documentation, next steps	Lock in the win-win

The BATNA Hierarchy

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │  Walk Away      │  ← Your power base
                    │  (Best Alternative)
                    ├─────────────────┤
                    │  Resistance     │  ← Fight hard here
                    │  Point          │
                    ├─────────────────┤
                    │  Target         │  ← Aim here
                    │  Outcome        │
                    ├─────────────────┤
                    │  Aspiration     │  ← Start here
                    │  (Anchor)       │
                    └─────────────────┘

Value Creation Model

• Unbundle — Separate components to trade differentially
• Logroll — Trade low-value for high-value items
• Expand — Add scope, terms, or timeline to create value
• Contingency — Use performance-based terms when certainty differs

Stakeholder Power Map

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           DECISION DYNAMICS             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Economic Buyer (signs check)           │
│  ┌─────────┐                            │
│  │   CFO   │ ← Money authority          │
│  └─────────┘                            │
│  Technical Buyer (says it works)        │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐               │
│  │   IT    │  │  Eng    │ ← Veto power  │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘               │
│  User Buyer (uses it daily)             │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐               │
│  │  Ops    │  │ Support │ ← Political   │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘     capital   │
│  Champion (sells internally)            │
│  ┌─────────┐                            │
│  │  Your   │ ← Must enable, not replace │
│  │  Ally   │                            │
│  └─────────┘                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Negotiation Styles

Style	When to Use	Risk
Collaborative	Long-term relationship, complex deals	May leave value on table
Competitive	One-time transaction, commodity	Damages relationship
Compromising	Time pressure, equal power	Suboptimal for both
Accommodating	Relationship > outcome, minor issue	Sets bad precedent
Avoiding	Losing battle, need time	May miss windows

Concession Patterns

The Diminishing Concession Pattern

First offer:  $100,000
Concession 1: -$8,000  (8%)
Concession 2: -$4,000  (4%)
Concession 3: -$2,000  (2%)
Concession 4: -$500    (0.5%)
Final:        $85,500

Signal: "We're approaching our limit"

The Package Trade Pattern

Instead of:
  "I'll give you 10% off"

Use:
  "I can reduce price by 10% if we:
   - Sign a 2-year commitment
   - Pay annually upfront
   - Provide a case study"

Anti-Patterns

• Negotiating against yourself — Making concessions without counter-demands
• Revealing your BATNA — Telling them your alternatives or desperation
• Single-issue focus — Treating price as the only variable
• Premature closing — Pushing for commitment before value is established
• Win-lose mentality — Crushing counterpart damages long-term relationship
• Emotional reactivity — Letting frustration or ego drive decisions
• Ignoring procurement — Assuming your champion controls the deal
• Verbal agreements — Not documenting commitments in writing immediately