Enjoy the Spring Season!

Finally, Spring is here! It is time to shrug off the winter blues, hop outside and enjoy the weather.Ā Ā It is also time to spring ahead and invest in yourself. No, I am not talking about rushing to the gym to develop that chiseled body. I am talking about sharpening your negotiations skills. Ā  Ā Do you […]

How to handle an unexpected price increase

  As a buyer, it can be stressful when a supplier announces an unexpected price increase. Many buyers will just accept it without raising any questions. But, it does not have to be that way. Try Ā this: Express surprise or irritation over the discussion and say “no” firmly. If they push then ask for the […]

Have a constructive dialog

Circular debate during the dialog phase plagues many negotiations. Often, opposing parties struggle to go beyond the issue on the table. The result? Deadlocks, time delays and damaged relationships. You can conquer this and move negotiation forward by doing the following things: Agree on the problem. Develop a clear understanding of how you see the […]

Creating and Claiming sustainable value in negotiations

Work place or life in general is full of negotiating opportunities ā€“ be it with your supervisor, spouse, customer or peddler in Egyptian bazaar! Well, letā€™s talk about customers here. You are an effective negotiator if you can persuade the customer to say yes, and mean it, to a proposal that also meets all your […]

Dealing with difficult Negotiators

People are often difficult because they’ve learned that their bad behavior gets them what they want. In some cases they’re difficult because they believe that you or your organization or your country has wronged them in some way.Ā  And sometimes they’re just awful people.Ā  It doesn’t matter; you should not adopt or contrast their style. […]

Are you and your team ready for the next negotiation?

Are you ready for the next negotiation? “Sure,” you say, “we are prepared,” as you point to a Preparation Sheet given to you as a sample at a negotiations seminar or may be let you download to your laptop. For many executive and non-executive negotiators, that preparation document with several untested assumptions ā€” usually expressed […]

Get Your Negotiating Team To Collaborate

Management of a major project and / or program frequently involves internal cross-functional teams that are large, diverse, and virtual. For example, developing and negotiating ā€œRequirements Documentā€ of a new product or service, could involve a large team consisting of members from product management, marketing, finance, IT and sales. Ā As team becomes large and dispersed, […]

Get ready for the next “Boom!”

On Nov 20, 2011, I wrote the following: ā€œWhile Politicians are still pointing fingers at everything and everyone in sight for the bad economy, we are excited to announce that the ā€œU.S. economic turnaroundā€ is already in full swing! It is happening faster than the so-called ā€˜Punditsā€™ think.ā€ Since the above observation, several positive signs […]