Everyone has heard some version of the phrase, “We only do business with people we know and trust.” Many negotiators believe that trust is the thread that holds negotiations together. Allan Tsang and Dan Oblinger believe that is a lie. Trust is a luxury. Is it trust—or rapport? Trust is fragile. No one trusts anyone when they just meet them. You may have a gut feeling. You may like or dislike them. But it’s impossible to…
Edmund Zagorin’s Three Keys to Attracting and Retaining Procurement Talent
Procurement leaders are being asked to do more than ever before with very few resources available. There aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything on their plates. Digital projects are being added to their workload. Procurement is being asked to work harder now to save time eventually. But what do they prioritize? If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. When you get down to it, there’s too much transactional and…
Assessing Liquidated Damages in the SaaS Space
In a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja, Jeanette Nyden returned to talk about liquidated damages. She also addresses what liquidated damage(s) clauses look like in the SaaS space. So what are liquidated damages? Liquidated damages are not a penalty; It is money that a customer receives from a supplier for a value not received. You need to conduct a cost-analysis In Jeannette’s book, “The Contract Professional’s Playbook,” she talks about activity-based cost analysis (TCO analysis). You…
The Power of Open Ended Questions
Anyone who’s been involved in negotiations or sales knows the power of a well-phrased question. But a simple focus on asking more questions won’t improve your results unless you work to ask the right kind of questions. You’ve likely heard of “open” and “closed” questions. But do you understand what those labels mean on a deeper, practical level? Keep reading if you want to put the power of open ended questions to work in your…
Sellers: Are you the Brown Box or the Custom Package?
In your industry, who are the stand-out experts? They probably come to mind immediately. That’s because they’ve done a fantastic job positioning themselves as experts. Of course, they have the experience and knowledge to back up their position, but nobody can deny that their personal branding and positioning has also paid off. Now step back for a moment and ask yourself a simple question: How does that person’s reputation as an expert impact their sales…