Give Some To Get Some

Why is it a good idea to give up something to get something else?

Because it works; that’s why. In most business interactions, one party is trying to get something from another. Maybe it’s just agreement on a viewpoint, but there is usually an agenda of some sort.

Seth Godin’s blog post, Add some {brackets} demonstrates this well.

You should keep this in mind when selling your product, service, or information.

Successful selling is helping others get what they want. If you do this with a sensible selling awareness, you will ultimately get what you want. This is not a bad thing. It creates win-win solutions.

Whenever you are making a proposal (you know, when you are selling someone your idea, product, or service), you must be prepared to compromise somewhere. It is human nature that people will not give you something (your request) unless they understand the “what’s in it for me?” factor.

Sometimes, they already want what you’re offering and they just need something to help justify them that they were not sold but that they bought on their terms. Give it to them. A simple concession may be all that’s necessary.

If you have created a large enough and understandable value proposition which satisfies this need of human nature, you may not have to negotiate a conclusion (sales close).

On the other hand, if it is not evident in the buyer’s mind how they will benefit, you may have to negotiate a concession that will bring the “cost vs. value” more toward the buyer’s perception and acceptance.

Also, some buyer’s will also demonstrate a power position stance (for an ego-satisfaction need) by requiring and receiving a concession before they will accept your proposal even though they understand the value proposition. It is my opinion that this is inbred in many people’s upbringing.

A personal story….

I have owned numerous restaurants during my business career. I always prided myself with a sense of healthy cleanliness and sanitary operations. I felt it was not only my duty but that it was good for business to properly operate a safe and healthy environment for my customers.

Sometimes, an interruption to a peaceful business is government regulatory inspections. I fully understand and support the need for public health safety inspectors but, I have experienced plenty of public servants that get caught up in bureaucratic procedures that result in a CYA mentality taking precedence over common sense.

I have observed in some instances where a management philosophy has dictated that there can be no “perfect” restaurant operations when it comes to a field inspection of the kitchen. So, unless the inspector can find some infractions to report on each inspection, it is assumed they (the inspector) haven’t done a good job.

Consequently, I always instructed my managers to leave a blatant, but harmless, inspection infraction visible for when the inspector’s arrived. This allowed them to write up something (giving their supervisor’s what they wanted).

It eased the adversarial nature that may have arisen if the inspector was hard-pressed to discover something to “write-up” in a otherwise clean and healthy operation. We gave the inspector what he/she wanted (a non-perfect report) and we got what we wanted (shorter interruptions).

Our restaurants were always clean by our own choice and for our customer’s well-being. We were not inhibiting the inspectors. We just made their job easier.

So, if you want something from someone, prepare in advance to give before you get. What’s the harm in doing so, if you both win?

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