Giving To Get: How A Sales Negotiator Makes Concessions

Sales negotiating is all about concessions. You make them, the other side makes them. Finally, if enough has been given, then you should be able to reach a common middle ground where a deal can be struck. The trick is knowing how and when you should make your concessions. Here are some tips from the … Read more

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

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

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

So Just How Do You Negotiate With Pirates?

Negotiating is both an art and a science. We study what works and what doesn’t in order to make sure that the next time that we are in a business situation in which somebody has something that we want, we are able to negotiate to get it. But what about pirates? The newspapers are all … Read more

Whatever Happened To That Boeing Negotiation?

We’ve talked before about the labor negotiatons and the strike that is happening at Boeing. Since we last talked, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has gone out on strike against Boeing. This has caused Boeing’s commercial airplane factories to be idled for over three weeks so far. Probably what’s even more important … Read more

Say Hello To The Bogey-Man – A Negotiator’s Best Friend

As a negotiator, the key to your long-term success is to have a number of different techniques that you can use when a situation calls for it. One way to think about this is like a carpenter who has a tool belt with his most commonly used tools on it. As the carpenter is working … Read more

No Ha, Ha At Tata – Negotiation Over Land & A Car Plant

Negotiation is a skill that is used everyday, all around the world. There’s a great example of just how careful one must be when negotiating – remember, as Yogi Berra said “It’s not over until it’s over”. Tata Motors thought that they had successfully negotiated a deal until it started to come undone. Let’s take … Read more