If you’re a business owner, the deals you strike can make or break your business. On top of that, maintaining healthy, productive relationships with your business partners will no doubt also dictate how business goes for your company.
Of course, we all have difficult conversations with partners or clients from time to time, but oftentimes they can be avoided altogether with a few sneaky strategies. Keep reading for business advisor Dean Buescher’s tips for keeping the upper hand in your business dealings.
#1. Let The Phone Ring
You heard it here first. Don’t pick up the phone. This might seem unnatural at first, letting an opportunity literally go by, but it works. Whoever they are, let them leave a message. This in itself is already an upper hand advantage because you now know what they want.
You can listen to the message and decide how you want to respond in order to get the best outcome. If you picked up the phone initially, you might have stressed something the other person was never worried about or going to bring up, killing any advantage you may have had.
So go ahead, let the phone ring.
#2. Listen, Then Talk
This tip goes along with the one above, where it is more advantageous to listen first and speak second. This method allows you to uncover the other party’s true needs and asks before you give away what you’re offering. Like with salary negotiations, it’s important to know what the employer is willing to give you first before you say how much you are asking for.
You can potentially make a lot more money in your dealings by knowing the other party’s offer before your own.
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