Using Second-Level Assessment Questions to Navigate Differing Perceptions of Value
During an interaction with a prospective customer, do you find ways to give them value? 80% of buyers say they don’t get anything of value from salespeople. The problem is that salespeople think they’re offering value. But there’s a gap between what they perceive as valuable and what the customer perceives as valuable. It’s a major problem. If your buyers don’t perceive the value, it doesn’t matter. What can you do? Ask... Read more
Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers
Joanna Shea has almost 20 years of experience in the corporate world working on major acquisitions and divestments. Three years ago, she branched out and joined the Negotiations Collective. The Negotiations Collective blends the corporate world and behavioral psychology. Among many other specialties, the Negotiations Collective offers training on navigating conflict within negotiations. Joanna and her team members (Calvin Chrustie, Scott Tillema, and Melissa Fortunato) bring a breadth of experience... Read more
Learn From Your Failures to Improve Your Negotiations
Sometimes when you attempt to take a collaborative approach to negotiation, the deal falls through. Failure is painful. You’re admitting that you screwed something up somewhere. Failure is critical to learning, but no one wants to talk about it. Simon Rycraft believes that ego is the #1 reason no one wants to talk about failure. People don’t want to openly share and acknowledge their weaknesses. But doing so can build... Read more
Can The Russo-Ukrainian War be Solved Through Negotiation?
Mark Lowther believes that The Russo-Ukrainian War could be resolved—but not while Putin is in power. Why? He sees Putin as the stumbling block. And from the Ukranian point of view, why would they need to negotiate back their country? Why should they give away any of their country? It seems ridiculous to them. But negotiating and coming to a conclusion might save hundreds of thousands of lives. Can they prevent further... Read more
How to Teach Someone—Without Offending Them
What is the relationship between a person needing help and the person delivering it (i.e., a psychoanalyst)? The person who needs psychoanalysis wants their doctor to know what they need to know so they can get better. But in many doctor/patient relationship, at some point, the patient decides they don’t like the expert having that ability. They’ll spout things like “I don’t know why I come here” and “All you... Read more
How Gender Biases and Cultural Norms Impact Negotiations
Suzanne is a Professor of Management & Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. She’s also taught at IMD in Switzerland and Seattle University. She’s had the opportunity to teach on six continents. And throughout her years as a consultant, professor, and advisor, she’s witnessed how gender biases and cultural biases impact one’s ability to negotiate. It’s time to question what unconscious biases are impacting your negotiations. How gender biases change... Read more
Why Amber Heard’s Team Failed Her
The verdict is in, and Johnny Depp has been declared the victor in the defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard. While it’s no surprise to anyone, and many agree with the verdict, Amber’s team could have done better. When you go to court, you, your witnesses, your experts, and your lawyers are on trial. Amber’s team seemed to have forgotten this simple fact. In episode #295 of Negotiations Ninja, Susan Ibitz... Read more
The Importance of a Sales Process
—How do you warm up a sale? How do you interact with prospects? How do you build rapport? In episode #293 of Negotiations Ninja, Kim Orlesky points out that people have a weird assumption that the sales process is simply picking up the phone and “giving it a go.” But many people don’t realize that there’s a process behind outreach, rapport building, etc. If there isn’t a process, there should... Read more
How Procurement Can Defend Their Interests in a Market that Favors Suppliers
The one thing that is never disputed is that procurement teams are lean, overburdened, understaffed, and asked to do the work of 2–3 people. Even if you do want to manage spend, you don’t have the time—or team—to do it. FInd out how procurement can defend their interests. Suppliers are taking advantage of procurement whenever possible Suppliers have learned that when the typical contract length is 3–5 years, they can... Read more
How Procurement Professionals Should Approach Intellectual Property Negotiations
Extreme boilerplate language in intellectual property clauses such as “Anything you enter the relationship with and create during the relationship is ours” can be concerning. It can raise red flags. And it makes intellectual property negotiations complicated. Legal teams do this to anchor the counterparty for easier negotiations. Understandably, they want to maintain and control the intellectual property coming into and being developed during the engagement. But there are likely things... Read more