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I bought my first car, a 1999 Toyota Camry that I baptized “Bertha”, from one of the most astute car salesmen I’ve ever met. I’m using the word “astute” now, but believe me, I had other much less flattering words for him during and after the purchase of my beloved “Bertha”. I was fresh out of college, buying my first car alone and without any guidance, so I could travel to all those regional audit assignments. End result: a whopping 16% interest rate on top of an outrageous price for a used car. In other words, I could have driven a luxury car for that price…Anyhoo…
I am not a born salesperson, never was good at it, and frankly never had much of a desire to be good at it. Yet, after years in the corporate world, I am realizing that this terrible salesman left me with something more than an acutely sour taste in my mouth (and gaping hole in my then-young professional savings): he taught me that like in car sales, corporate success is measured by how well you can sell yourself and what you have to offer. And if you have to inflate your value and fake it ’til you make it, well, it may be worth it to close the deal…
- Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! In car sales as in the corporate world, negotiation is a big part of success. Whether you are promoting your work in preparation for a future raise or promotion, or are seeking additional resources (time, people, money) to accomplish your goals, you are always in negotiation. And that is how you should enter every meeting room, and treat every professional encounter, as mundane as they may seem.
- Resort to Emotions! This one may sound counter-intuitive, especially in the corporate world where women especially are urged to put emotions aside, right? Wrong. We are all human, and we all have emotions. Emotions happen to actually be the vessel through which many a deals are closed. By triggering pleasant emotions in others, or even unpleasant ones that elicit positive outcomes, we can negotiate better results.
- Don’t feel guilty! As women, we tend to feel guilty when we allow ourselves to negotiate for a raise or better benefits at work. However, it is expected that we should negotiate, especially at work, and failing to do so may actually project the wrong kind of impression.
What car salesman techniques to you use at work?
