Why the “Why” is Important to Demonstrate in a Negotiation
If you’re trying to convince someone you’re intrinsically and financially worth more, how do you do it? How do you negotiate a raise or a promotion? Sara Laschever—a negotiation coach and author—emphasizes that you have to prove why you deserve a raise by demonstrating your “why”. Demonstrating your "why" Sara is adamant that you can’t go into a negotiation and say, “I’m worth more.” Instead, go in and say, “If... Read more
Limitation of Liability: Who Assumes Risk?
Jeanette Nyden—a contract and negotiation expert—works with clients to help them understand and master the contracting process. Part of that process is helping them understand the limitation of liability clause and how to properly draft it. But who owns the risk? Is it sales or procurement? Or is it a third party who should assume most of the risk? Jeanette breaks down the issues in a recent episode of Negotiations... Read more
The Difference Between Average and Great Salespeople
What helps people move from being average to being great? What’s the mindset difference? Marty Park believes that if you’re the business owner doubling as the sales manager and you have a team of 10 people, you’ll likely have two that kill it. They’re the ones that love cold-calling. They love being rejected because it brings them one step closer to a sale. They are enthusiastic about selling. He firmly... Read more
The Power of the Positive No
Jean Reyt emphasizes that at some point in your life, you'll have to make a stand. You’ll have to say “no.” If you don’t, people around you will suffer. If you’re someone who struggles to say no, you need to figure out why. Jean firmly believes there will come a day where you won’t say “no,” and you will regret it. I love the book that William Ury wrote called... Read more
Pretexting: How to Nail Your Negotiation Approach
Chris Hadnagy is brilliant. He is a master of the tactics and strategies required to persuade and influence. He shared a hypothetical in a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja. Base your pretext on the end goal Let’s say you’re about to enter a negotiation for a contract with a vendor. You know you’re up against other great vendors. The other problem? You know the other vendors are priced a little cheaper... Read more
Raphael Lapin’s Dispute Resolution Continuum
Raphael Lapin is a Harvard-trained negotiation, mediation, and communication specialist. Anything negotiation-related falls under his purview—including government entities, corporate entities, and individuals. In episode #248 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, he shares the difference between mediation and arbitration and where each falls on his dispute resolution continuum. The role of negotiation and mediation in Raphael’s dispute resolution continuum In Raphael’s dispute resolution continuum, you start with direct negotiation on the... Read more
Why Don’t Schools Teach Negotiation as a Critical Life Skill?
No one throughout their schooling career ever gets taught negotiation or broad-level communication skills. They’re not taught how to negotiate, have civil conversations, or advocate for their own needs. The conspiracy theorist in me questions why the school system is structured this way. Negotiation and conflict resolution should be a focus as early as possible in a child’s life. Why? Because conflict costs billions of dollars a year. Conflicts in... Read more
How to Build Leverage into Your Salary Negotiation
Victoria Pynchon is the founder and chief negotiator at “She Negotiates,” a consulting company that has helped hundreds of women negotiate compensation. Victoria helps her clients prepare a written strategic plan. Her strategic plan starts with market value. Why? Because most people don’t come to her before the interview. They have to ascertain a company’s interests during the negotiation process. She always starts with: What’s your market value? What’s the... Read more
How to Employ Cialdini’s Principles of Influence at the Right Time
Too many people start a sales conversation with scarcity instead of starting with the principle of liking or creating social proof. Should there be timing around some of the principles? In Brian Ahearn’s book, “Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents,” he looks at the sales process. He covers which principles are most effective at each point of the sales process. So what could—or should—you start with? Authority, likability, and... Read more
How to Overcome Your Fear of Negotiation
Lynn Price is the author of “Negotiate It!: How to Crush Your Fears, Develop Your Negotiation Muscle, and Gain Power in the Workplace.” She was in-house counsel for 20+ years for Telecom and the Engineering and Construction industry. She’s negotiated well over 11,000 agreements. Currently, Lynn is a trainer and consultant in negotiation. Her focus is training people to use her 3 R formula to dramatically improve their negotiating skills.... Read more