How Use Sales Negotiation Styles To Influence

How to Use Sales Negotiation Styles to Influence
In complex B2B sales, deals are rarely won (or lost) on price alone. The art of negotiation is about understanding the interplay between strategy, psychology, and human behavior. One of the most powerful levers a sales professional can use is the conscious application of different sales negotiation styles to influence outcomes.

Recognizing your style — and adapting it to match the specific situation and your counterpart — can dramatically improve success rates.

Types of Sales Negotiation Styles
Much has been written about various sales negotiation styles and how to adapt and flex to them to resolve conflict and make win-win agreements.  Sales negotiation styles are basically the high level negotiating methods related to the way people prefer to negotiate.

Keep Your Emotions in Check
Sales negotiations, especially high stakes sales negotiations, can get personal and emotional. Fear, worry, anxiety, and reluctance can derail thoughtful preparation.

• Before Every Sales Negotiation
  Anticipate potential sticking points and be prepared to professionally respond in a way that moves the negotiation forward.
• During Every Sales Negotiation
  Be prepared to pause, reflect, and ask effective sales questions anytime that you begin to feel frustrated or unsure.
• After Every Sales Negotiation
  Do a postmortem to identify what worked well and what could be improved upon next time.

Learn to “Reach Across the Aisle”
Most solution sellers are constantly in negotiating mode both internally and externally.  It may not always be a formal, sit-down contract negotiation; even a short conversation can be a negotiation as you try to help a client solve a problem or get the right resources.

If you were able to “reach across the aisle” to connect more powerfully with a client who is of a different sales negotiation style, just think how much simpler and easier your conversation could be.  Understanding your sales negotiation style and the style of those around you helps get everyone on the same page and minimizes misunderstandings.

Consider These 4 Basic Sales Negotiation Styles to Up Your Game
A study by Brett, Shapiro, and Lytle demonstrates that negotiators who can recognize their default style and intentionally shift their approach achieve higher success rates.  With this in mind, it can be helpful to think of sales negotiation styles in terms of four different categories.  The first two describe people who are likely to be more introverted, and the second two are likely to be more extroverted.

1. Consensus-Driven
   People with a consensus-driven sales negotiation style are typically obliging, pleasant and agreeable. They care about how changes will affect others and generally like to follow protocol. Treat them with respect and explore together how the negotiation will affect and benefit others.
2. Purpose-Driven
   People with a purpose-driven sales negotiation style typically focus on accomplishments and care about purpose, systems and process. They shouldn’t be rushed. They need careful, thoughtful consideration before they make a move.  Give them the facts and the logic behind your approach so that they have all the information they need to make a sound decision.
3. Action-Driven
   People with an action-driven sales negotiation style typically like to move fast, make decisions, and act. They don’t like to waste time with unnecessary or irrelevant details.  They prefer the big picture and like to address major challenges.  Negotiate by giving them the overall view and fill in with details, if needed, later.
4. Relationship-Driven
   People with a relationship-driven sales negotiation style are typically outgoing and fun. They thrive on social contact and engage others well.  They like excitement and making connections.  Don’t bore them with dry facts.  Instead, ask for their creative ideas on how to get others involved and move forward.

Applying Styles to Influence Outcomes
Influence in sales negotiation comes from adaptability. Experienced sales professionals read the cues of their counterpart — tone, pace, priorities — and adjust their style accordingly. For instance, if a buyer is highly action-driven, matching intensity while incorporating collaborative elements can lead to better alignment and reduced friction. Conversely, with an relationship-driven buyer, leveraging a collaborative style can guide the conversation toward mutual value creation rather than a purely transactional exchange.

The Bottom Line
Mastering sales negotiation requires more than knowing techniques — it requires understanding styles, adapting them thoughtfully, and balancing assertiveness with empathy. By leveraging approaches strategically, sales professionals can influence outcomes, protect margins, and strengthen customer relationships. The most successful sales negotiators aren’t rigid; they are flexible, perceptive, and intentional in their approach.

To learn more about how to improve your sales negotiation results, download The 2 Most Common Sales Negotiation Tactics To Be Prepared For