Sometimes when you attempt to take a collaborative approach to negotiation, the deal falls through. Failure is painful. You’re admitting that you screwed something up somewhere. Failure is critical to learning, but no one wants to talk about it. Simon Rycraft believes that ego is the #1 reason no one wants to talk about failure. People don’t want to openly share and acknowledge their weaknesses. But doing so can build rapport in a negotiation. There…
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.”…
Concession + Compromise: Do They Have Any Place in Negotiation?
Compromise is touted as a tactic that is a normal part of the negotiation process. It’s a “negotiation-saver.” When you reach an impasse, it’s as simple as a compromise, and the deal is done. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Allan Tsang shares his thoughts on the topic in an episode of Negotiations Ninja. Myth: Any deal is better than no deal Let’s say you want to sell a widget at $100. Your cost of…
Jeb Blount Prepares for a High-Stakes Negotiation with These 3 Rules
In a special episode swap with the Sales Reinvented podcast, Jeb Blount points out that if you don’t know how to negotiate, you won’t make a profit. You’ll just be giving things away. Jeb wrote his book “Inked” as a sales negotiation book. If you don’t negotiate well, you’re essentially giving away your paycheck and company profit. How does Jeb Blount prepare for a high-stakes negotiation? Jeb embraces a few rules as part of his…