Lessons Learned from Condo Sale
My mom recently closed on the sale of her condo, and I just debriefed on the negotiation with our real estate agent. Here is what we learned. We all can benefit from these. 1. Homework paid off with the right real estate agent. I interviewed four real estate agents,...
Three Ways AI Can Help in Your Negotiations (Part Two)
We’ve all heard that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Originally penned by Scottish poet Robert Burns in his 1785 poem “To a Mouse,” this phrase recognizes that even the most carefully developed plans can end in disaster if and when the unexpected...
Three Ways AI Can Help in Your Negotiations (Part One)
Like millions of others, I have been amazed at the resources and power that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought to everyone in so many fields. And while some legitimately feel threatened by this ongoing revolutionary change (and which I partially address in my...
Travel-Related Negotiation Strategies
He rejected our tip. I was shocked. I’ve never had a tip returned. He had carried several pieces of our heavy luggage up four narrow flights of stairs to his Airbnb, so he deserved it. But he gave it back. Why? He said he was already fairly compensated just by our...
The Shutdown and the Power of Precedent
We’ve all heard the phrase “What goes around comes around.” If you treat someone badly, the thought is, they will turn and – eventually – treat you badly too. Crucially, this presumes that you will have some contact and relationship with them in the future. This...
Real Estate Agent Interview Lessons (Part Two)
I was surprised when this agent said he was not interested in listing my mom’s condo after he learned I was meeting other agents. He said he was pretty busy and the condo’s value – and his commission based on it – was just not worth his time. I told him I understood....
Real Estate Agent Interview Lessons (Part One)
I recently interviewed several real estate agents in person to determine the best fit to help sell my mom’s condo. Since negotiation comprises one of real estate agents’ core competencies and our agent would be our front-line negotiator with buyers and their agents, I...
Where to Sit
We had a round table growing up where the six of us sat for family dinners. Four kids plus our parents. And I remember discussing this years ago with my parents, who said they liked the round table as it created an environment in which each of us felt that we could be...
Rehab and Negotiations – Surprising Commonalities
I recently had knee replacement surgery, and the post-surgery rehabilitation phase has been challenging. Everything went well surgery-wise, but the rehab – to be successful long-term – has required a surprising level of perseverance, dedication, discipline, and...
Tone Matters in Negotiations – A Lot
“It’s your tone,” my wife said to me after I apologized. What did she mean? She didn’t feel like I meant it when I said it. “Ugh,” I thought to myself. I did mean it, but it doesn’t really help much if she doesn’t believe it. What’s the problem here? We’ve all...
Disney CEO’s Negotiation Lessons (Part Two)
I am not a huge fan of Disneyland and Disneyworld. My wife and kids love them, but I hate long lines and just don’t love rollercoasters and its other rides (largely because I don’t feel great after and it takes me a while to recover). But I do admire how Disney runs...