Classic Sales Negotiation Tactic: I’ve Got To Talk To My Boss…

Picture this scene: it was about 20 years ago (ouch!) and I was still dating my wife when she suddenly had to replace her car. She knew exactly what she wanted: a Honda Civic with a manual transmission. There was a local Honda dealer near where she lived so one evening we went there to … Read more

A Sales Negotiator’s Guide To Dealing With A Deadlock

When driving a car, the #1 thing that most of us fear is hitting a wall. Or another car. Or pretty much anything that would cause us to come to a complete stop quickly. Why are we so afraid of this? Well duh – it will damage / destroy the car that we’re in, delay … Read more

Negotiation Battle: Tom Hanks vs. Mel Gibson

In the world of Hollywood, they have the ability to make the unreal seem oh so real. However, right now they are having a great deal of difficulty negotiating to make a contract between the big movie studios and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) become a reality. Are we going to be looking at another … Read more

Deadline? We Don’t Need No Stinkin Deadline…

What would the world of negotiating be without deadlines? I can tell you that Hollywood movies would lose a lot of their plot if the bad guys couldn’t set impossible deadlines for our heroes to try to meet. What about real life – why do people use deadlines while negotiating? It’s actually pretty simple, a … Read more

A Negotiator’s Best Friend: Time To Think

Quick – what is the most important characteristic of a negotiator? Sorry, that was a trick question – there are a number of correct possible answers. However, one trait that needs to be on that list is patience. Although being an American can often be an great asset, in negotiations sometimes it can be a … Read more

Negotiating Self Defense: Countering The Reverse Auction Tactic

I’ve always liked superheros. From my earliest days of reading comic books to my current-day trips to the movie theater to see Spiderman and Iron Man, I just don’t seem to be able to get my fill of superheros. I believe that superheros, although fictional (probably – however I still have hope), can teach us … Read more

Negotiation Firestarter: The Take It Or Leave It Tactic

If you really want to set off the other side of the table during a negotiation, one great way to do this is to tell them that they can “take it or leave it.” This is pretty much the verbal equivalent of throwing gas on a fire – you are guaranteed to generate hostility on … Read more

How Do You Deal With The Rest Of The Iceberg During A Negotiation?

As the captain of the Titanic, Edward John Smith, did a fairly good job of looking out for the parts of icebergs that were above water. What got him in the end is when the Titanic hit a part of an iceberg that he couldn’t see because it was below water. In negotiating, all too … Read more

Succeed By Bringing The Ghost Whisperer To The Negotiation

So there you are, sitting across the the table from the other side starting a negotiation. If only you are able to use your considerable negotiating talents to convince them that what you want is best for them, then you’re sure to get what you want – right? Nope, it turns out that although you … Read more

Use The “Reverse-Godfather” Approach To Win A Negotiation

In the classic movie, The Godfather, Marlin Brando utters the unforgettable phrase “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Clearly Brando’s character Don Corleone is operating from a position of negotiating power as the head of an organized crime family. However, is there anything in this phrase that us mere mortals can use? It … Read more