Negotiation is nothing new in the AV industry. While these conversations are seldom simple, sometimes they present an especially complex issue that’s harder to unpack. In negotiation challenges where the customer is asking about specific line-item pricing and wanting more transparency in the proposal, there’s typically an underlying issue that needs to be addressed: Are they really concerned with price… or are they looking for a deal?

Are you a widget salesperson? Are products an important part of what you sell? For anyone in the AV industry, widgets are a part of your life. Whether you specialize in permanent installation or live events, you use widgets all the time. Your customers may even call you specifically asking for a widget. But widgets aren’t what sells. Service sells.

Have you ever thought about why you give your clients valuable products and services for free? Maybe you’re trying to strengthen the relationship with the client. Or, maybe you’re just trying to ensure you’ll win the project or make the sale. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with providing some extra value to a client, but we often give away the wrong add-ons in our proposals .

You will encounter gatekeepers. Even people with top-notch marketing and business development strategies designed to target their ideal clients occasionally find themselves stuck in a gatekeeper cycle. It happens to the best of us… and it’s not always your fault.

You’ve been asked dumb questions. The answers are so obvious, you’re annoyed you have to waste your breath answering. You’ve also been asked questions that don’t fit the context of your conversation. You wonder, “Where did that come from?” And yet, you’ve also been asked some great questions. You stop and think, “Wow! Thanks for asking that!” You know the person is really listening and they value your response. We’ve all been in each of these situations — both on the asking and answering side of the conversation. As you meet with buyers, you want your conversation to set you apart. That means you need to ask really great questions — not the ones that leave them confused or annoyed. Where do these kinds of questions come from?

Have you ever suspected some of your salespeople are just winging it? If so, how would you know? Maybe you’d look at the consistency of their sales numbers. Maybe you’d talk to clients that have worked with them. But how do can you tell if their success (or lack thereof) comes from a real understanding of your company’s value to customers and how much of their success is just smooth talking?