The secrets to successful Zoom negotiations

Before Covid and lockdown, I would spend alot of my time sitting in the reception of grocery retailers, nervously waiting to meet the buyer and hopefully negotiate a good deal for my clients. It might have taken me two or three hours to get there, traffic had been bad, then nowhere left to park and realised I am in a smart suit and its dress down Friday! I would be stressed but hey there's someone I used to work with so we have a chat about people we know and how their business is going and I start to relax. The buyer is late but then we head off to a meeting room, set up the screen and we are off!

And now since lockdown, I have a Zoom meeting scheduled. No trip to the office, no worrying about the traffic...roll out of bed, put on a smart top (and PJs bottoms) and off we go! Way easier, way more relaxed and I get to see inside the buyer's home ....simples?

Doh - unfortunately not! For starters, I am also in my bedroom albeit in the office area and it feels a little uncomfortable to have the Tesco buyer peering in! Then I don't feel really professional - I am old fashioned but I find my brain becomes more business focused if I have prepared and dressed for the part. But it seems a bit odd to put on a jacket at home! And then there are the possible distractions of the dog barking, my partner interrupting, Amazon delivering a parcel or the washing machine going into full spin cycle. And then when everything is set up, someone unplugs the wifi and I lose the signal (yes that did happen to me this week!)

Now I am feeling stressed and worse vulnerable as my home space has been invaded and I don't feel on top form. There is then the problem that despite being able to see the buyer - I can only see their head and maybe shoulders - we use our hands alot to sell and express excitement and this is not possible on Zoom. So it is difficult to read the signals, build rapport or gain the body language feedback that forms 90% of communication. And then I notice as I run through my presentation that their eyes are not on the screen - I don't think they are listening, they are looking down - maybe at their phone, or at another tab on the screen reading an email. Aargh why am I bothering?!!!

Relax! It doesn't have to be this hard - here's some ideas on how to make the most of the Zoom call - take advantage of its features rather than be devastated by it.

1. Look great, feel great

?? if you would normally wear a suit, at least wear the suit trousers or skirt so that you have the feeling that you are attending a business meeting. Put on same makeup (if relevant), maybe even wear shoes so your brain knows this is different to watching webinars

?? check out the lighting to make sure you look the best you can - Zoom seems to add about 10 years to my face and yet if I use my new light I look normal again or face towards a window. Definitely don't have the light behind you as they won't be able to see you

?? make sure your background looks professional. I had someone do a zoom call the other day from their bed - seriously it just looks wrong. As does the washing hanging up in the background, untidy shelves or washing up (I have seen it all - not incidentally in buyer's homes!)

2. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

The preparation bit of selling and negotiating never goes away whether you are face to face or online. So make sure you are clear on what you are trying to achieve, know your numbers and be really well versed in what they buyer is looking for.

I am a passionate profiler of my buyer and always do this before I meet. I use Crystal knows to work out what type of person they are and also use their advice on how to present and negotiate to get the best deals - check it out here

I also use a simple meeting one pager that I have developed over the years whereby I think through everything that might be needed - my objectives, their objectives, commercials and other key elements - it is much easier to use this rather than keeping info in lots of different places

3. Death by powerpoint

There has been much debate about whether sales presentations should be done via Powerpoint - no one wants to have death by slides. However, I find the discipline of creating a presentation orders my thinking and develops my selling story. BUT you don't have to use them but have them ready to show if relevant. In order to keep attention, I suggest trying different methods - share links in the chat, ask questions, show different screens maybe your website, show fantastic ratings on Trustpilot or even v short videos. Anything to make the meeting interactive and keep the interest. And don't forget the time - many online meetings seem to be shorter than face to face meetings and you want to make the best use of the time given so that you are not cut off prematurely when you are just about to get to the killer bit!!

4. Create rapport

One of the key things you are always taught in selling or negotiating courses is create rapport - people really do buy from people they like. This is a challenge when you are online but you can get ahead with a couple of cheats

?? Say yes and nod - this is one of the universal signs of body language that encourages rapport and ensures that the other person feels understood and listened to

?? Take notes - ask the buyer questions about their business and be seen to be taking notes. Psychologically it looks as though you are listening and really hearing what they are saying but also it means you look away from the screen which encourages them to be more open which could be a good thing when trying to find out their negotiation secrets!

5. Try standing up

Successful negotiation is all about power and confidence. The person with the power (or perceived power) will perform better than someone who is feeling vulnerable and sub par. If you create an environment where you can look at your laptop standing up (not incidentally just stand up so the other person is looking at your stomach!), then you have more energy, your thought processes work better and you can move better so express your excitement and enthusiasm by moving your arms!

All of these elements will help you feel better, keep the buyer's attention and create better rapport. Try it at your next meeting and let me know if it worked