One does not have to be in a cult to act like a cult member. It is not a surprise to come across angry, brash, and obtuse people behaving like cult members. However, when people in professional positions act like cult members, it is frustrating, to say the least. Cult members are rigid, often emotional, […]
My friend, Chris, called to complain about how a homeowner, who has listed her house with him, will not cooperate in staging the home best. He had tried to persuade her with all the logic he could muster. Many negotiators dive into persuasion mode. Skilled negotiators focus on uncovering the real issues. How? With active […]
“Simplicity is the ideal virtue. Oh! how difficult it is to be Simple!” Google placed a simple rectangle for search. Write or ask anything, it will fetch the relevant information. Several other search engines had their websites crammed with everything except search box, placed conspicuously. Google won. Toyota began manufacturing Corolla in the U.S. in […]
Anything you are afraid to do, practice doing it. Practice gets rid of fear. With practice, it becomes a habit. If you’re afraid to play the piano, play a little every day. Learn the notes. Begin with simple music. Play when you are alone. Record yourself. Play a bit more. Every day, tick-tock, tick-tock, a […]
Let us face it. Life is a negotiation. You negotiate with your spouse, your children, your colleagues, even your commercial alliances and competitors… the list goes on. If you have read, “The World Is A BAZAAR – LIFE IS A NEGOTIATION – Skills to inject success, creativity, and fun in your life, relationships, and work,” […]
Finally, before and during negotiation, learn from similar situations in your or a different industry. What did the parties do to achieve favorable outcomes? A franchisor haggling on price can present a tremendous negotiating opportunity for the marketing company. The marketing company can give an acceptable discount in exchange for a longer contract term with […]
Establish social standards If a clear norm exists regarding intelligent behavior, social comparisons hardly matter in negotiation. Often the rule is not clear, and parties are quick to select appropriate or inappropriate comparisons. In 1998, some enterprise resource planning specialists discovered that those who know SAP software products earn over $200 per hour. Within a […]
When a reference benchmark is not determined and agreed upon in advance, there is a high probability of conflict and deadlock. Each side is tempted to compare itself to a standard that favors its position. Frequently, a clear criterion is not apparent. In such situations, it is even more critical to work with the other […]