We all believe that we know how to listen, but it’s not true. The truth is that what we call “listening” is only hearing. Hearing is done easily because it’s an automatic function of the ears and the brain, but listening means that we process what others say in a way that enables understanding and empathy. And it doesn’t happen instantly just by hearing the words the person says. Listening is a process, and…
Priceless Negotiation Wisdom
Often, people think of approaching personal negotiations differently than professional negotiations. Personal negotiations involve emotions based on essential relationships in our lives, which can make it hard to look at them through a professional lens. But in applying our professional negotiation practices to our personal lives, you might be surprised at what outcomes you achieve. On a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja podcast, I spoke with Marty Latz – author, international speaker, and negotiations trainer…
Negotiation, Poker, and Philosophy
There are countless books, studies, and essays written about negotiation techniques and strategies. The topic has had significant time and effort donated by experts across all industries. Negotiation often goes hand-in-hand with other hobbies and activities, poker being one of the most prominent examples. High-level poker players are often incredible negotiators, as they are masters of probability and human behavior. Mike Caro, my recent guest on Negotiations Ninja, is the author of Caro’s Book of…
Developing Trust in Negotiations
I often talk and hear about trust in negotiation as a key element to ensuring you achieve the outcome you desire. In a past episode of Negotiations Ninja podcast, I spoke with Keld Jensen, internationally recognized expert and advisor on negotiation and behavioral economics, about the importance of trust in negotiation. I believe we take trust for granted in negotiation. Business often comes down to numbers. Trust is a belief, an emotion. Many feel our…
Negotiating Performance Based Contracts
When hiring a contractor, we often put all the responsibility on them for completing what they are being hired to do, without any harm to our businesses. This is a fair notion, but there are some circumstances where we have to assume some responsibility to allow the contractor to do what we need them to do. This is the concept behind performance-based contracting. In a past episode of Negotiations Ninja, I spoke with Jeanette Nyden,…