I have been exploring the theme of how effective negotiation is compatible with a mindset of sustainability, and not focused on simply price and cost. The proliferation of Impact Investing is a clear sign that having a purpose to do good and not just make profit is the way forward, and those businesses who do [...]
I talked in my last blog about how negotiation can genuinely create lasting and sustainable benefits for all stakeholders by focusing on needs and not wants, working on really understanding the other side’s sheet of paper, not falling prey to one’s ego and listening. This will then lead to growing the pie for everyone. An [...]
Negotiation is about getting the best deal we can, isn’t it? So, how can we think sustainably when we are negotiating with customers and suppliers and we have financial targets to hit and bosses to impress? Although what does “sustainability” mean anyway? In business it’s about finding the balance of profit and purpose. It means [...]
There’s an old saying: “Don’t assume, because it’ll make and A$$ out of U and ME!” As a professional negotiator I say: WRONG, we should make LOTS of assumptions, but we need to test them by asking great questions. A story came up in a memory on FaceBook, reminding me how impactful assumptions can [...]
How to Negotiate a Better Salary or a Job Offer Before the “how”, thoughts on the “if”. A lot of people are afraid to negotiate, or at least they don’t like it. Of those, many will begrudgingly negotiate for something / someone else, but are petrified when it comes to negotiating for themselves. Research from [...]
There exists and old saying, something of something is better than 100% of nothing. This saying is a perfect bridge to a conversation on the “take-it-or-leave-it” tactic in negotiations. I’ll address three questions here Is “take-it-or-leave-it” a good tactic to use? Should it be used? Unfortunately, the answer, like so many things in the world [...]
Negotiators have a well-earned reputation for being less than transparent with each other – and some outright lie… Here are 3 ways a negotiator can build trust without losing leverage. Establish ground rules (that you’re willing to live by… trust is a 2-way street, no one wants to be known as a hypocrite): We teach [...]
Create a Deadline Get Them to Negotiate Understand the Market Determine the Budget Create a Deadline All negotiators know that each party will tend to make concessions at the deadline. Furthermore, most negotiators realize that both sides have deadlines (although many sellers erroneously don’t truly believe this….convinced buyers can wait forever). So therein lies [...]
On a recent trip to South Korea’s Namdaemun market I was reminded of how small and yet diverse the world is. Keep in mind, Koreans in general are known to be shrewd negotiators, and street vendors regardless of culture tend to be among the toughest (a supporting example will be published soon). On the other [...]
I was walking through the mall with my family this past weekend, well, “with” is a bit of a stretch. All you parents know what I mean… Anyway, I was focused on making my way out, through all of the other shoppers and buyers and people watchers (oh my!) when words jumped through the white [...]
