Closing is perhaps the easiest commitment to acquire. But for this to be true, you need to gain a number of commitments. In 2016, after publishing The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need, I had already started writing The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the 10 Commitments That Drive Sales on my flight from a meeting with the publisher in New York.

Negotiation is at the heart of every advertising sales job. Whether you’re working with small businesses or global brands, your ability to negotiate well can make or break a deal. It’s more than just getting to “yes.” It’s about creating value for both parties and ensuring long-term partnerships. Let’s dive into some creative techniques and strategies to sharpen your negotiation skills and boost your sales success.

In the competitive world of media sales, the ability to negotiate effectively is one of the most critical skills for success. Media sales professionals often face high-stakes scenarios where they need to balance meeting client needs, achieving revenue goals, and maintaining long-term relationships. Negotiation, in this context, is both an art and a science—one that can make the difference between closing a transformative deal and losing out to a competitor.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve developed three top-tier, comprehensive courses. These aren’t the typical courses you see that skim the surface. These are thorough, deep-dive, results-driven courses designed to drive sales performance. And while we put the finishing touches on these, I’m crafting a fourth course that’s built around a powerhouse collection of templates I use in my own business. This one will take time, but when it’s ready, it will be the ultimate playbook for sales leaders, equipping them to empower their teams to hit ambitious targets.

You negotiate for far more than the final deal or agreement as a sales rep. You negotiate to get access to speak to a prospect, for their time, for the information you need to advance the sale and to talk to those on the buying team. The whole process is a negotiation to create a win-win situation for your organization and your prospect.