Extreme boilerplate language in intellectual property clauses such as “Anything you enter the relationship with and create during the relationship is ours” can be concerning. It can raise red flags. And it makes intellectual property negotiations complicated. Legal teams do this to anchor the counterparty for easier negotiations. Understandably, they want to maintain and control the intellectual property coming into and being developed during the engagement. But there are likely things you can learn over the…
How to “Say Less, Get More”
“Say Less, Get More” is Fotini Iconomopoulos’ latest book where she teaches negotiators unconventional ways to get what they want—i.e., say less to get more. But the average person avoids negotiating. Anything that could bruise egos, cause conflict, or make someone feel a sense of loss, can cause people distress. When this happens, Fotini sees people go into flight, fright, or freeze. It makes them tongue-tied and timid. No one wants to feel that way,…
How a KGB Sleeper Agent became an Asset for the United States
Jack Barsky was born in 1949 in Eastern Germany as “Albrecht Dittrich.” At the time, Eastern Germany was occupied by the Soviets. Jack spent 26 years of his life in a Communist regime. He even obtained a Master’s Degree in Chemistry. But before he could start a career as a college professor, he was recruited by the KGB. In 1978—after five years of training in Moscow and Berlin—he was launched as an undercover lone-wolf agent…
Putting the Principles of Influence into Practice
Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE. He’s a keynote speaker, trainer, coach, and consultant who specializes in the science of influence and persuasion popularized by Robert Cialdini. Brian has written multiple books on the science of influence, including “Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical” and “Persuasive Selling.” To reach an entirely new audience, Brian decided to try his hand at writing a business parable, “The Influencer.”…
Buying and Selling a Business: Common Structures to Know
Many entrepreneurs may not have thought of ways to make a deal more beneficial. Or they don’t know the best way to structure a sale. That’s where a coach or advisor like Joe Valley comes into play. Joe points out that cash is a type of offer but there’s also cash plus a hold deck, cash plus a stability payment, cash plus a seller note, cash plus an earnout, cash plus an equity role, and—you…