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In Sales training programmes, negotiation skills are often overlooked. One might say that the reason most of us feel the need to negotiate with others is so that we can find a way to get what we need. Being human, we all believe that our viewpoint is important and that everyone else should at least consider seeing things our way. If you had no wants or requirements, there would be little reason for you to negotiate with anyone.

If sales courses don't always teach persuasion skills, how then can you convince other people to favourably consider your suggestions?

Believe it or not, there is a science supported by more than 60 years of research that has evolved our understanding of the use of influence to satisfy our needs and desires in sales negotiation. The world's leading authority on the science of persuasion, Dr Robert Cialdini, has uncovered 6 principles of persuasive communication in his research:

Reciprocation
Liking
Commitment & Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
Social Proof

Whilst influence will always be an art, it is incredibly helpful to harness the power of the 6 principles uncovered by scientific investigation to maximise your odds of influencing others to give you what you really want.

Let's start by looking at what is believed to be the key principle from a negotiation point of view - reciprocation.

Reciprocation means that we return to others the form of behaviour that they demonstrate towards us. If you have helped me, then I should do you a favour. If you invite me to your birthday party, then I should invite you to my birthday party. If you make a concession to me, then I should make a concession to you.

So what does this mean to you and how can you deploy it to get what you would like?

Here's how:

Ensure that when you negotiate you ask for a little more than you would be happy to receive.

Let's say you are trying to sell a widget and you need to receive $ 100 for the widget.

If you want to apply the principle of reciprocation, then you should commence by requesting a little more - let's say by requesting $ 105.

If your counterparty does not agree to handing over $ 105 for the widget, then you are able to make a concession by reducing your price to $ 100 in return for your counterparty also making a concession to you. A concession that your counterparty could make in this case could be to pay you immediately on the spot or to pay for shipping etc.

The key is for you to offer the concession - don't wait for your counterparty to make a concession. Just make sure that you use the word 'if' when you make your concession:

"If you are prepared to pay me in cash right now, then I will reduce the price from $ 105 to $ 100". This way you give an indication to your counterparty that you are prepared to be flexible and you will now significantly improve the likeliness of them also being flexible and offering a concession in return.

Just be sure to use this principle 'in the moment' whilst you are negotiating. If you went away from a negotiation to reconsider your proposal, your counterparty will be more likely to regard your revised offer as a new proposal, not as a concession.