Wouldn’t it be great if you could receive a personal guide to negotiation from an experienced, wise negotiator who is proven to be successful? You’ll get David Meltzer’s guide to effective negotiation when you listen to this episode.
David Meltzer is a philosopher, business coach, entrepreneur, and so much more, including an amazing negotiator. He grew up poor and thought money would bring him happiness, so he pursued sports (he wanted to be a pro football player), then becoming a doctor, then a legal career. When he passed the bar exam he had an opportunity to create a legal advice service online, which is how he became a millionaire. His business career has only excelled from there.
Join us for this conversation as David shares lessons from his journey that can serve you as a sort of guide to negotiation.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:42] The business coach and philosopher who is David Meltzer
- [5:30] David’s secret to negotiating: an abundance mindset
- [7:26] Is it possible to serve others in a negotiation?
- [9:29] How do we get over ourselves and remove ego from the process?
- [12:10] Is there a role of visualization and manifestation in negotiation?
- [15:17] How David has developed the ability to pay attention and stay centered
- [17:57] Effective negotiation advice David wishes he had heard earlier in life about
David’s secret guide to effective negotiation
David says that the only secret he has to effective negotiations is the ability to see things from an abundant perspective. He has complete faith that there is enough in every situation to meet everyone’s needs. That includes negotiations. That means he is always watching for ways to make the situation a win-win for both parties. He is guided by three negotiation principles:
- Never negotiate to the last penny (ego is the issue when you do this)
- Be fair
- Don’t negotiate with jerks
By adhering to those maxims he can give $100 of value for every $20 that he takes in a negotiation. When he does, he never goes away without the things he needs. In his words, “The more that I give away, the more that I win.”
Is it possible to serve others even in a negotiation?
In one of his books, David says that as human beings we need to become focused on serving others. I was curious: Is it possible to serve others even in a negotiation?
David says, without a doubt it is possible. We must challenge ourselves to find out what is most valuable to the company or person we are negotiating with. When we do that, we can serve them most effectively, providing the exact outcomes they are looking for in the deal.
We have to listen carefully, care about what we’re hearing, and be creative in how we deliver it at times, but when we do, service to those on the other side of the table is entirely possible.
5 things David looks to fulfill in every negotiation
If you go into your negotiation opportunities with a “What can I get?” mindset, you’ll come up short often. That’s because you’re not looking for the ways that you can prove your expertise, reliability, and trustworthiness to those on the opposite side. David says you can demonstrate those things by being careful to fulfill the following five things in every negotiation:
ONE: Credibility — you want to demonstrate 100% credibility whenever and however possible
TWO: Emotion — people buy based on emotion for a variety of reasons. You don’t want to use emotion as a manipulative tool, but you do want to understand the emotional reasons behind the buyer’s decisions and provide reassurances in those areas.
THREE: Quantify — There are three particular things you want to quantify by the end of every negotiation:
- The reasons those on the other side of the table should take your offer for their own sake
- The clear impact it’s going to have for them
- The capabilities you have to provide the value they need and want
When you effectively focus on all of these then you can use what David calls the “craziest close of all time” — which is, “Can you see any reason you don’t want to move forward?”
How do we get our ego out of the way in negotiations?
When you allow your ego to drive your negotiations, you’ll be too motivated by what you get and insensitive to the needs of the other party. That sets you up for failure. David has a favorite quote he repeats to himself to help him stay centered during negotiations:
“Enjoy the consistent, persistent pursuit of your potential. Detach your emotions from the outcome and attach them to the journey of the consistent, persistent pursuit of your potential.”
Take time to read that again. Ponder it. David says you can only rightly understand and apply it when you practice it. Practice creates habits, and habits get stronger and stronger with age, so keep practicing. When you do, your negotiation skills will expand and accelerate rapidly.
This mini-guide to effective negotiation is so powerful that we can’t do it justice here on the page. You really need to listen, so please, do so now.
Resources & People Mentioned
- www.DMeltzer.com – text number: 949-298-2905
- David’s author page on Amazon
- Lee Steinberg
- Warren Moon (NLF quarterback)
- The Playbook Podcast
- Sports 1 Marketing (David’s company)
Connect with David Meltzer
- Follow David on LinkedIn
- Follow David on Twitter: @DavidMeltzer
Connect With Mark
- Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod
- Connect with Mark on LinkedIn
- Follow Negotiations Ninja on LinkedIn
- Connect on Instagram: @NegotiationPod
- negotiations.ninja