Here is my annual list of lessons learned and links to the columns that more extensively address these strategies. Don’t forget to implement these in 2026! How you communicate and the tone of your voice – your pitch, inflection, pace, volume, emphasis and general...
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...
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...
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....
There’s one main negotiation reason procurement professionals/buyers send out Requests for Proposals (RFPs) – to create leverage by developing better Plan Bs to their Plan A (which is not buying or just sticking with its incumbent). Of course, sellers also seek...
The major deal points for the sale of my client’s company were set. But we still needed to negotiate terms and conditions (Ts and Cs). And both sides needed it done quickly. As a result, my client insisted that we send a draft “final” contract, with very little room...
Years ago, a potential client asked me to help him negotiate and sell some commercial real estate in Phoenix. After he agreed to my fee, I sent him my standard two-page consulting contract to review and sign. Several days later, he suggested we just do this on a...
The bread and butter of a corporate/transactional lawyer’s professional life involves negotiating contract terms and conditions (“Ts & Cs”). They spend hours every day drafting, analyzing, comparing, discussing, evaluating and then negotiating Ts & Cs....
He had been in the pool deck and resurfacing industry for about 40 years – and he was a talker. He was also the fourth sales professional I met that day. But I was all ears. Why? Because my wife and I weren’t yet firm on what we wanted for our pool decking and patio....
