2. Negotiating 101: Don't ever give something without receiving something in return.'
We've heard it all. Your customer needs a favor. A client doesn't want to sign cancellation or attrition (or both). Your top-performing OTA is raking you over the coals for a 30% margin plus allotment. Your wife wants the in-laws to stay for a week... or three.
Whatever the case, keep in mind that everything is negotiable. If your customers need something from you, ask for something back. Even if it's made up. Why? Because successful people make deals, not concessions. A deal implies a two-way agreement with you and the client. A bargain, a handshake, an agreement to action. That's why they call them "million dollar deals." Concessions? Who in their right mind would want to make a million dollar concession? Sounds like a divorce settlement.
If a customer asks me for something, and it makes good business sense for me, I will likely comply. But if it's one-sided and I'm the only one providing something, then where's the call to action on behalf of my client? Are they any more loyal to me because I caved to their demands? Not really. People actually like giving when they receive. Which is why Christmas tends to be popular.
So I will ask for things like exclusivity, or a longer cut-off date, or for special promotions like logo-placement on brochures or website links from company web-sites. And yes, it's okay to get creative. I have even offered to meet client requests in exchange for things like "undying devotion and loyalty" in addition to "your first-born child." The client is happy to comply with something that may be little or no effort on their part (website links or exclusivity, for example), and in some cases, it may actually be a huge weight lifted from their backs when they get to unload their six-year-old. A deal's a deal.
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