EVERY marketer knows that the true mark of a good marketer is the ability to strike lucrative profitable deals.
Marketers now realise that unless they equip themselves with skills in negotiation and bargaining they will not be successful and be effective in their work.
Marketing being by nature a function preoccupied with organisational profitability and viability entails that individuals who have the role of bringing business demonstrate their abilities to convince clients through effective negotiation.
However, given that the markets are dynamic and customer’s needs and wants are always changing, the marketers must always strive to improve their skills in dealing with their customers organisational and individual.
For instance, marketers have to deal with complex buyers or complicated markets that is, customers who follow rigorous processes before arriving at a purchasing decision.
Complex buying could also extend to organisations whose products or services are too technical or whose benefits might not be easily comprehended by the average customer.
An example could be insurance services, medical schemes, banking services and even tourism services.
The need for highly personalised and customised services and products has equally contributed to the need for improved negotiation skills in marketing.
When you are dealing with a customer who has a need for specialised service or products, you need to convince them that they will get your fullest attention, good customer service, good pricing as well as
quality delivery.
Complex buying also includes orgainsations which have purchasing and procurement units which have to evaluate purchasing requirements and supplier credentials, pricing, delivery and quality issues.
Such organisations are usually very particular about a lot of issues, such as the supplier’s track record, reputation, staffing and people behind the organisation.
In short, they want to be assured that the supplier will be capable to deliver to their satisfaction.
For marketers dealing with such kind of customers will not be the same as dealing with individual buyers who would like to purchase a home theatre system, a deep freezer or house furniture.
Individuals can also apply complex evaluation before making a purchase depending on what they are buying, examples could be an individual who wants to purchase a motor vehicle or a house.
When making such purchases, most of us will usually consult widely as they are usually highly risky purchases.
Buying bread or a bag of mealie meal is not as hectic. One notable fact these days is that most organisations are either dealing in complex products or services or have to market complex
buying individuals or organisations.
Given this scenario, most organisations are now looking to employing marketers with proven ability to negotiate effectively and get what are considered to be difficult customers and strike what are regarded
to profitable deals.
In marketing it is easy to get recognised once you have proved that you are able to crack the hardest nuts.
Hence it is common to hear marketers gossiping about how some marketer was able to get a ‘K500,000 deal’ from such and such a company in one month.
Every organisation will be keen to get such a marketer in their midst. Such kind of propensity can be equated to a top form striker in a football team, who has a record of scoring in every match, every club
will be after him.
Some years back while working for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) in the marketing department, I was challenged to put my negotiation skills to test when our marketing and sales manager
persistently reminded me on the need to achieve monthly sales targets.
Being a sales representative my performance was evaluated based on the number of sales and business brought in on a monthly basis. I realised that I would not succeed if I did not target specific prospective clients and convince them to give us business.
This was not an easy task but I had to do it. I remember how it was not easy for instance for me to bring one client known as Family Favourite, a liquor retailing company on board.
The client was well known to be difficult to convince by many of my colleagues in marketing who had tried to get him to advertise.
The proprietor simply did not believe that there were benefits to advertising. I paid the client a visit at his Northmead outlet and I remember one of his staff directing me to his office in the corner of the store.
As I reached the door to introduce myself, the old man looked at me and signaled to me to wait, he was a queer looking old man but I deduced he was equally very serious with his business.
If I am not mistaken my wait lasted over two hours. When he finally invited me in he was interested to know what it was that I had to offer that I was so patient for.
He asked me what benefits he would derive from advertising with us and the price.
Resulting from this long meeting was a six-month advertising contract on Egoli a South African produced soap opera.
Remember that ultimately it should always be a win-win situation for client and marketer.
Comments:dennis_sokondhlovu@yahoo.com or ndhlovudennis75@gmail.com