Trust in Negotiation is NOT a Necessity
Everyone has heard some version of the phrase, “We only do business with people we know and trust.” Many negotiators believe that trust is the thread that holds negotiations together. Allan Tsang and Dan Oblinger believe that is a lie. Trust is a luxury. Is it trust—or rapport? Trust is fragile. No one trusts anyone when they just meet them. You may have a gut feeling. You may like or dislike... Read more
Edmund Zagorin’s Three Keys to Attracting and Retaining Procurement Talent
Procurement leaders are being asked to do more than ever before with very few resources available. There aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything on their plates. Digital projects are being added to their workload. Procurement is being asked to work harder now to save time eventually. But what do they prioritize? If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. When you get down to it,... Read more
Assessing Liquidated Damages in the SaaS Space
In a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja, Jeanette Nyden returned to talk about liquidated damages. She also addresses what liquidated damage(s) clauses look like in the SaaS space. So what are liquidated damages? Liquidated damages are not a penalty; It is money that a customer receives from a supplier for a value not received. You need to conduct a cost-analysis In Jeannette’s book, “The Contract Professional’s Playbook,” she talks about activity-based... Read more
The Power of Open Ended Questions
Anyone who’s been involved in negotiations or sales knows the power of a well-phrased question. But a simple focus on asking more questions won’t improve your results unless you work to ask the right kind of questions. You’ve likely heard of “open” and “closed” questions. But do you understand what those labels mean on a deeper, practical level? Keep reading if you want to put the power of open ended... Read more
Sellers: Are you the Brown Box or the Custom Package?
In your industry, who are the stand-out experts? They probably come to mind immediately. That’s because they’ve done a fantastic job positioning themselves as experts. Of course, they have the experience and knowledge to back up their position, but nobody can deny that their personal branding and positioning has also paid off. Now step back for a moment and ask yourself a simple question: How does that person’s reputation as... Read more
The Contract Professional’s Role In Indemnification, Hold Harmless, and Risk Analysis
What is indemnification? How about a “hold harmless” statement? No idea? Alright, then maybe you’ll be able to describe a situation when you, as a contract professional, are obligated to “defend” a company you’re working for? If you find those questions absurd or incomprehensible, keep reading. You need the information below. On a recent episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, I had a conversation with Jeanette Nyden, a former lawyer... Read more
The Six Different People in a Negotiation
People new to enterprise sales think that when they’re in a room negotiating with one person, they’re negotiating with one person. But according to Joe Paranteau, there are multiple people that you negotiate with throughout the relationship. Why is it important to be able to communicate and negotiate with everyone involved? The six different people in a negotiation are people that are often overlooked. Joe uses this framework when he... Read more
Gaetan Pellerin’s 4 Cs of Mindfulness [The C4U™ Approach]
Gaetan Pellerin is the author of a new book all about mindful negotiation: “Mindful NEGOtiation: Becoming More Aware in the Moment, Conquering Your Ego and Getting Everyone What They Really Want.” Gaetan took his fascination with understanding human behavior and drive and applied it to the negotiation process. He found that many negotiators focus on planning and strategy but underemphasize how emotion plays into negotiations. So Gaetan created a framework that... Read more
Why You Can Still Achieve a Rags to Riches Story
Can someone still have a rags to riches story like Shaahin Cheyene? Shaahin believes it is possible. Henry Ford once said, “If you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’re right.” It comes down to mindset. Is the mindset still possible? Yes. Shaahin teaches people how to create predictable, recurring revenue on Amazon. Amazon has taught us that things change rapidly. If you’re equipped, ready, and willing to move with... Read more
The Factors that Impact the Sale of Your Business
According to John Warrillow—the Founder of The Value Builder System™—the happiest entrepreneurs are ones that have more pull factors than push factors. What does that mean? Push and pull factors Pull factors are things that you’re excited to do—write a book, run a marathon, travel, etc. Push factors are things that stress you out within your business. It could be government regulations, employees, angry customers, and more. You need to... Read more