When Overconfidence in Negotiation Goes Terribly Wrong
Is overconfidence detrimental to a negotiation? It’s a psychological bias that’s an important factor—but it’s also confusing. Many executives believe that confident people can achieve more than those who lack confidence. But George Siedel believes that they are confusing decision-making with decision implementation. Decision-making versus decision implementation When you make a decision, it’s important to obtain the views of your peers or subordinates. If you let your overconfidence win and... Read more
4 Proven Benefits Negotiation Training Can Have on Your Business
Negotiation training is among the most critical aspects of doing business. And it’s easy to see why. The modern business world is hyper-competitive, and an increasingly demanding market forces you to be at your best. For this reason, your ability to negotiate is non-negotiable. Serious people will develop this essential skill through mediums such as negotiation courses. And those who are too lazy or indifferent to do so will be... Read more
The Power of Transformational Listening
You wouldn’t go backpacking for three weeks and expect to get to your destination safely without the necessary tools. You need a guide, a tent to sleep in, things to nourish you, etc. Conversations in negotiations are the same. You need to be equipped with the necessary tools to be successful. And according to Christine Miles, questions can interfere with listening, both for the listener and the teller. But asking... Read more
Can You Negotiate Without a Relationship?
Romina Muhametaj is a marketing, sales, and negotiation expert who firmly believes in the power of building relationships to propel one’s career forward. Negotiating without a relationship will only get you so far. She emphasizes that there are three types of sales: Apples, oranges, and coconuts. Which do you prefer? Apples, oranges, or coconuts? 10% of the population are early adopters. They buy because something is new and shiny but... Read more
Storytelling for Introverts
A study done by Stanford found that people remember 22x more information when it’s embedded in a story. So when Matthew Pollard gives a presentation, he invites someone on the stage and asks them to remember three items: chairs, porridge, and their bed. Matthew asks them if they’ll remember those three things one year later. Most people say no. But occasionally, someone will say, “Of course I’ll remember. That’s Goldilocks and the Three... Read more
Why Stories are Powerful in B2B Sales
We often forget about the power of story in B2B sales. It’s because we disconnect the product or service from a person. We feel like we’re selling to a company. But no matter what company someone works for—their name is always on their card. But because we feel that disconnect, we avoid telling stories altogether. It’s a huge mistake. Why? Because stories are the language of the brain. We think... Read more
Only Say It If You Believe It
Mala Subramaniam is an Executive Coach, Speaker, and the author of “Beyond Wins: Eastern Mindset for Success in Daily Business Negotiations.” She’s also a proponent of the Eastern approach: Solution-oriented negotiation and problem-solving. To her, negotiation is an opportunity to build relationships while achieving business outcomes. Mala believes that when you’re negotiating, you should only argue for something that you believe in. It isn’t just about “winning” over someone else.... Read more
How to Shift Power in a Negotiation
Jack Schafer spent much of his career in counterintelligence in the FBI. But during his last seven years at the FBI, he worked in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), where they’d design interview strategies based on the vulnerabilities of someone’s personality. There are numerous psychological tactics that you can use in negotiations. Jack emphatically believes that whoever has power in the negotiation wins. It boils down to whoever gains the... Read more
5 Simple Conflict Resolution Strategies for Workplace Disputes
As an enterprise leader, conflicts are an unfortunate (and inescapable) part of life. Due to the vastly varied views and opinions of people, it’s inevitable that conflicts will occur periodically for you to manage. But the idea is not to avoid them; instead, you want to resolve them through effective communication. This essential skill can be learned and developed via conflict resolution training. At Negotiations Ninja, we are a team... Read more
Navigating “Hidden Redlines” During Contract Negotiations
Nada Alnajafi has experience as an in-house counsel for both startups and large companies. She’s currently corporate counsel for Franklin Templeton. Nada recently launched a blog called “Contract Nerds,” where she seeks to be a resource and community for everyone who works with contracts (lawyers, procurement professionals, contract managers, etc.). Her goal is to bridge the gap between the type of education people receive and the work they have to do. Nada... Read more