Tag Archive for: procurement

Five mistakes negotiators often make – Mistake 2

Most successful leaders have one trait in common. It is their ability to negotiate skillfully.

Five mistakes negotiators often make

The most common trait of the successful leaders.

“Yes, and…” vs. “Yes, but…”

Most successful leaders have one trait in common. It is their ability to negotiate skillfully. Invest in yourself.

The Crux

Since the dawn of marketing, professionals have asked simple questions to construct objectives, strategies, and tactics. At the most basic level, the issues haven’t changed. WHO are you trying to: ? Address? ? Influence? ? Reach? If the answer is anyone and everyone, you are wasting time and resources. Step back and find your “specific […]

Negotiate over food

Set the conducive environment Their office is their territory. Your office is your territory. In either case, there are interruptions…colleagues, emails, phone calls. Their office, you put up your guard. Your place, the other side will be tempted to put up their guard. Find a restaurant with a pleasing ambiance. You are at ease, and […]

“Yes, and…” vs. “Yes, but…”

In her book, Improvisation for the Theater, Viola Spolin leads the actors through games and exercises that dynamically connect the players. What one player does and says is immediately sensed and responded to by the other player. And that, in turn, creates a spontaneous response in the first player. The players accept each other’s actions […]

Now or later

The quotes by world statesmen may be confusing without the right context. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Gandhi “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” – Benjamin Franklin The tendency is to follow the most straightforward and comfortable path. But, almost always, the more robust way is the right […]

Salt in butter

It is tempting to invest resources and develop plans to grow and have a controlling position in your market. “Lock-in” contracts, specific terms and conditions, sticky services—there are countless ways we can make a customer move to a competitor disruptive. While these tactics can be hugely profitable (lower customer churn, recurring revenue, higher company value), […]