Planning, preparation, strategy, and tactics are things we often talk about as important when going into a negotiation. They are important but equally important is the ability to think on your feet, to adapt, to read a room and act accordingly. Improvisation is a critical skill that many negotiators overlook. On one of my earlier episodes on Negotiations Ninja, I spoke with Michael Wheeler, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Art of Negotiation:…
Getting The Meeting
The business world is saturated with people trying to get each other’s attention. What if there were a way to secure your meeting without cold calls, cold emails, or random social media interactions? Cue contact marketing. In its simplest form, contact marketing is the act of giving a stranger a gift with the intention of getting a meeting. It is an elevated approach that artfully gets the attention of your prospect. My recent guest on…
The Awkward Sound of Silence
Silence may very well be one of the most powerful skills you can develop in negotiation. It may also be one of the most awkward skills to to learn. Ever tried to sit through silence after asking what is seemingly a very awkward question? It sucks! It’s the most awful and strange feeling. It’s almost as though you instantly become naked and feel immediately exposed to potential ridicule. It’s really hard to sit through that…
I Lost a Sale
I lost a sale this week. Usually this doesn’t bother me very much. But in this case, I was particularly upset. Not at the prospect, but at my self. After a thorough after action review of the sale, it became very clear that this one was all on me. What follows are the 3 VERY COSTLY lessons I had to painfully re-learn after I didn’t make the sale: Lesson #1: Pride Comes Before a FallUsually if someone doesn’t want…
Applying Process to Negotiation
I’m definitely going to lose some readers over this one. But screw it, here we go. I’ve had very robust “discussions” with many business professionals, former colleagues, and “expert” consultants about this topic. But the short answer is, “Yes” – I believe you can apply process to negotiation. Alright, now that we’ve gotten rid of the people who think in absolutes, let’s begin our discussion. The truth is that you’ve been conditioned (by modern media…