Episode #367: Mark Raffan

ChatGPT is an incredibly useful advanced language model that utilizes pre-existing information to generate unique ideas, insights, and guidance. Mark Raffan views it as a handy intern that’s available 24/7, whenever you need it. 

So how do you leverage ChatGPT to be a better negotiator? How can you harness its abilities to roleplay, regulate your emotions, and prepare counterarguments? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented. 

Outline of This Episode

• [1:02] What is ChatGPT?
• [2:27] The key features and capabilities of ChatGPT
• [4:57] Using ChatGPT as an unbiased third-party perspective
• [7:44] Where you should be cautious using ChatGPT
• [11:12] Can you teach ChatGPT your negotiation style?
• [13:26] How to handle personalization and customization 
• [15:23] Mark’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts
• [20:48] Use ChatGPT to enhance conversations

Key features and capabilities to leverage in negotiation

ChatGPT is great for generating roleplaying ideas and assisting with roleplaying practice. If you want to build a roleplaying practice between two people for a certain industry, provide it with every piece of information it could need. Tell ChatGPT the role it needs to play. The back and forth that you can have with ChatGPT is a great way to build your skillset.

It’s also fantastic for emotional regulation. Negotiations can be emotionally charged, especially if the product is near and dear to your heart. When things become emotionally charged, your negotiation can generate suboptimal results. ChatGPT can provide impartial advice to keep you calm and help you maintain your emotional regulation. 

ChatGPT can also help you prepare counterarguments. Ask ChatGPT for answers to some of the problems you might run into. It helps you think through what the chess moves will be on your side. 

ChatGPT also provides you with an objective third-party perspective. If you find yourself in a conflict where you’d normally bring in a third-party like a mediator, and they’re not available, why not use ChatGPT? It can facilitate discussion and guide negotiations toward constructive solutions. 

Where you should be cautious using ChatGPT

ChatGPT is still being coded by humans. Because of this, Mark has noticed that the default response to any negotiation situation is a win-win scenario. Mark doesn’t care for win-win negotiation methods. So if you fundamentally disagree with the rational foundation, then the answers you’ll get are going to be suboptimal.

Secondly, if you’re facing someone who doesn’t believe in win-win and you’re taking a collaborative approach, you’ll get worked. Can you teach ChatGPT your negotiation style to yield the results that you’re hoping for? Listen to hear Mark’s thoughts on this concept. 

Mark’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts

Mark drops some great advice for the use of ChatGPT: 

• Use ChatGPT to help you with customer engagement. If you’re new to sales or negotiation, you can get script data, prompt information, and ideas for interaction.
• Train ChatGPT with information that allows it to think and act like you. Share your communication profile, personality type, etc. with ChatGPT. If you are active on social media, share articles, etc. you can ask it to act like you, based on what it can source from the web. 
• Combine it with people. Employ it as an intern, not a full replacement of a person.
• Don’t feed it information that is private. It is a public language learning model. If you feed it private information, it can and does become publicly available for others to use. Use responsibly. 
• Don’t rely solely on ChatGPT, especially with complex negotiations. Its depth of industry information is limited. It will never be the same as a 15-year negotiation veteran.
• Don’t over promise and mislead customers with ChatGPT’s answers. ChatGPT will come up with embellished ideas, make sure they are edited to be truthful.

Use ChatGPT to enhance conversations

Mark recently hired a salesperson new to the industry. They’re using ChatGPT to help with scripting ideas, conversation starters, etc. One conversation required the help of someone to generate ideas for a lead gen campaign. 

They asked ChatGPT to come up with 15 ideas to generate a conversation with this type of person, in this type of industry, etc. They built numerous prompts to speak to their pain points and challenges. 

They used it in their campaign and generated fantastic results. Use the tool. Edit the answers. It can be incredibly powerful.

Resources & People Mentioned

• ChatGPT

Connect with Mark Raffan

• Negotiations Ninja
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on Twitter

Connect With Paul Watts

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

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Learn More About Mark Raffan

Are there any resources on or ChatGPT that you recommend? 

I highly recommend search ChatGPT posts on LinkedIn. There’s a WEALTH of resources that others far smarter than me have posted. Save those posts to your saved items and refer to them often.

In the field of AI and Sales – Who do you most admire and why? 

In the field of AI, I admire the startup founders who are paving the way in the space. One such founder is Martin Rand, founder of Pactum AI. Check out this amazing AI negotiation tool.

What are your top ten favourite prompts in ChatGPT – Your Golden Question/Prompt Set? 

• Give me advice on how to build rapport with a prospect who [insert role, approximate age, interests]. My goal is to build friendly rapport so the prospect finds me favorable over others.
• What are 5 out-of-the-box conversation starters that would cause someone to laugh or smile when in a professional environment?
• Write 3 jokes about [insert prospects industry here] that would make someone laugh in a conversation.
• What are 5 professional compliments I can give to someone who is a prospect in [insert prospect industry] at [insert prospect company].
• List 10 discovery questions I could ask a prospect who may be having challenges related to [insert problem that my product solves].
• Read the below publicly made statements [insert publicly made statements from CEO of prospects company – eg. Investor call transcripts] and summarize the key points I need to be aware and ask my prospect questions on that may drive an increase in business for me in the [insert my type of business].
• Give me examples of 3 story’s I could use to illustrate how our product has been successful at solving problems in the prospect’s industry [insert industry].
• How can I create scarcity or perceived scarcity with the prospect?
• How do I increase the perceived importance of my product in the eyes of the prospect?
• How can I entice the prospect to provide more information about a sensitive area of their business?

What are some of the most important considerations that companies should aware of as it relates to their employees usage of ChatGPT? 

Your information is not private. Once you feed the machine, the machine will use the information.

Should training be provided for employees to utilize this tool safely and effectively and should this be included in a salespersons induction / onboarding process? 

Absolutely.

Can you share some examples of how ChatGPT has helped companies improve their sales process or increase sales. 

It’s certainly helped our process as an idea generator. It’s the cheapest intern we have.

Are there any aspects of your own ChatGPT skills that you are working on improving at the moment? 

Experimentation is key. Experiment with intention. Think to yourself, “I wonder if I asked it this, what I would get?” Then ask.

Hobbies, Interests? 

Wine, Gym, Swimming in the lake

How can our listeners contact with you? 

Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markraffan/