I recently spoke with two very successful business professionals about the strategies they’ve used in almost 70 collective years of business negotiations. Here are some of their most effective negotiation strategies and lessons learned. We will all do better if we...
I have been training business professionals and lawyers to more effectively negotiate since 1995. I have written this monthly column since 1999. I make my living from the former. The latter is free (including the almost 300 at www.ExpertNegotiator.com). So here’s the...
The Power of Preparation Always Makes a Difference What is the most universally ignored but most effective negotiation tool? Preparation. I conclude every one of my seminars with this statement: “Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. It’s guaranteed to succeed. The more you...
You’re at your desk around 9:30 a.m. looking at your overwhelming “To Do” list, your stacked-up “In” box and wondering if your bonus – for once – will reflect your true value. Then the phone rings. It’s Bob, a potential strategic partner, calling to...
Here’s how it usually goes down. The prisoner is sitting alone in a locked room when two police officers enter. One’s the good cop. The other’s the bad cop. It’s a common negotiation tactic. Officer Toughguy starts by banging his hand on the table and pointing out –...
A lawyer recently hired me to help negotiate the settlement of a very large lawsuit. After spending several hours discussing the negotiation, I inwardly groaned. My client, while a successful lawyer, had unwittingly made a major strategic error in the negotiation....
I listed my house in 2003 at an aggressive price. I had been tracking the sales of comparable homes for eight years and had a good idea of what I could get. But you never know. So in setting my goal and determining my list price, I also asked two experts for advice:...
The telephone rang and caller ID showed a number starting with zeros. He was calling from South America and wanted to purchase the rights to something I owned. I was intrigued. The call was undoubtedly pricey, so I figured he must be serious. He was. The opening...
The vast majority of business professionals and lawyers acknowledge the value of strategic planning. “Of course strategic planning makes sense,” they admit. “We do it all the time, especially in setting our goals.” Yet many of these same...
