There is much written on the subject of negotiation management. All the pieces need to work in harmony in any key sales process. Jim Camps sales negotiation approach famously put forth in his book Start with No, is a great summation of how to use these pieces in effective sales negotiating. Acknowledging the other party’s concerns and needs (often written under the term need state) along with what Camp states as your Mission & Purpose are two critical pieces to any sales negotiating.
Often missing in some organizations is how the mission and purpose statement links up with how you operate effectively on a daily basis and meet your goals. Negotiation is at its heart, clear and effective decision making. Mission gives purpose and can be seen as the guidance system. This is the bedrock of the Camp system of negotiation.
By linking your M&P with your negotiating you need to develop the habit as Jim says “of referring to it on all matters great and small, because it gives you crystal-clear guidance in all cases”.
“Your Mission and Purpose should be set in the world of the party whom you negotiate with. Your Mission is set in the other party’s world, where the need state is. Once you have stepped into the other party’s world this is what drives understanding and clarity limiting false assumptions allowing both parties to see clearly. It has been said again and again, “the Customer comes first”. Most businesses will not thrive without this. To quote Jim “Over the long haul, you put profits in the bank by putting the customer first”. As pointed out in Camp’s book by using a mission statement created by an artist and storyteller who has a successful business, the mission is solely focused on the world of his customer:
My mission and purpose is to help people see, discover and decide to experience this world as a world of imagination and possibility and healing. We do this by sharing our stories and the model of our company, in a way that is sustainable now and into the future our children will inherit.
This M&P stays away from the problem of being I-centered, which is set in the world of the individual not the other party, making the process of orientation a challenge.
To lay out the process:
· Mission and purpose- drives the vision for all parties
· Vision- drives effective decision making for all parties
· See and decide should be part of these M&P statements. You want the party on the other side to see and decide.
· By creating a vision in the other party that will move them into taking action
