Negotiation Columns & Blogs
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Above & Beyond: Developing Customer Loyalty
What did we do? We pulled everyone in on Saturday and worked all weekend to get the job done. Frankly, we could have charged them a ton as we had strong leverage. But we didn’t. They were a good customer. And they’ve been a great and loyal customer ever since, even...
Shaking Hands Helps in Negotiations
My wife sometimes reminds me to avoid shaking hands with people I meet if they exhibit signs of being sick, like sniffling or coughing. But this is tough for me, as it’s just an ingrained habit I’ve had for 40 years. It turns out that this habit can actually...
To Kill a Mockingbird: An Application of Negotiation Judgment
Our kids tend to be rule-followers, which is perhaps not surprising as my wife and I tend to be more rule-breakers. Not big ones, but I do have a lead foot. I was reminded of this recently when I rewatched the classic movie To Kill a Mockingbird with Gregory Peck,...
Bill Richardson’s Major Negotiation Lesson
Former U.N. Ambassador, U.S. Secretary of Energy, New Mexico Governor, and Member of Congress Bill Richardson recently passed away. Interestingly enough, despite holding all these high-level government positions, he may have been most well-known for his ability as a...
Negotiating With College Kids
My son starts college at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois next week. Time flies! As the son of an author, he recently bought a book for my wife and me entitled “The Naked Roommate [For Parents Only]: A Parent’s Guide to the New College Experience.” I...
The Power of Tribal Unity
I met my wife over 20 years ago when one of my former law students introduced us. When I learned she grew up in Wisconsin, I immediately felt a connection. After all, I grew up in Minnesota and sensed a “Midwestern” thing going on. She felt it, too. This feeling was...
How to Change People’s Minds With Good Ideas
I recently attended a conference where an expert started his presentation with a photo of a toilet up on the big screen. What?!? Of course, it grabbed our attention. But it also made a serious point, as the speaker – Chris Graham – noted in “the part about toilets”...
It Just Feels Appropriate (Part 4)
"The buyer paid 8x my client’s EBITDA [a revenue-related financial calculation often used to help evaluate a company’s market value]. He didn’t have to pay this, as he had extremely strong leverage because he was my client’s largest retail outlet and one without whom...
Personal Relationships Over Leverage (Part 3)
I know the best way to maximize the financial value of my family business is to hire an investment banker and auction it off to the highest bidder. That’s all about leverage, right? And I need to achieve enough financial security to continue our current lifestyle...
Do the Right Thing (Part 2)
“Usury” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates” and can also be used “in a moral sense,” according to Wikipedia, as “condemning taking advantage of others’ misfortunes.” We as a society have even passed laws prohibiting...
Don’t Gouge Your Customers – Even If You Can (Part 1)
Our AC unit recently went on the blink with the temperature in Scottsdale around 115. Yikes! We needed to get it fixed or replaced ASAP. Talk about weak leverage! Fortunately, we found an AC guy willing to come out within a day and fix it. I’ve never been happier to...
Will AI Replace Human Negotiators?
Years ago, I negotiated a business partnership involving my then negotiation planning and management software company, which helped individuals negotiate strategically based on the experts’ research. While that partnership did not succeed to the level we had...
Eight Negotiation Lessons from “Air: Courting a Legend” Movie (Part 2)
Sports superstars are a different breed. Many have been treated like prima donnas since they first exhibited otherworldly physical skills in their chosen sport, some as early as 10 years old. As a result, they often have different interests than the rest of us. This...
Eight Negotiation Lessons from “Air: Courting a Legend” Movie (Part 1)
Near the end of the negotiation, basketball legend Michael Jordan’s mom drops a dealbreaker on Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro when she says we are good “except for one minor provision – Michael gets a percentage of the revenue of each shoe sold.” This move, from the...
The Sports and Negotiation Relationship
I'm a big sports fan. Phoenix Suns. Pro tennis and football. March Madness. Not a fanatic. But I really enjoy watching elite athletes compete. I also fully appreciate the behind-the-scenes element in sports, especially at the pro level. Other than these athletes’...
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