The Four Tiers of Tim David’s T.R.U.E. Hierarchy
Tim David is a magician turned influence and communication expert. He frequently works with businesses and salespeople to master the art of connection. He takes the knowledge of persuasion and influence and makes it scalable and usable across the business realm. In the process, Tim covers the T.R.U.E hierarchy. What does it consist of? The T.R.U.E hierarchy of needs Technique. A lot of books, coaches, and websites stop with the... Read more
The Secret Sauce in Every Negotiation
What is the secret sauce in every negotiation? How do you go from prospect to business partner? Cody Lowry—the President of Intermark Automotive—has learned the secret in his 25+ years in the marketing industry. It’s all about the schmooze. Schmoozing isn’t meant to be manipulative or coercive. It doesn’t mean you’re a smooth-talker. What does it mean? Schmooze—or you lose How do you find success in the negotiation and sales... Read more
What does the Cost of Inaction Really Cost?
Most people don’t truly understand what the cost of inaction is costing their organization. Conversely, it’s quite easy to see what an action is costing them. So how do you bridge the gap? How do you get someone to embrace necessary change when the cost seems so high? Professor and noted author Jonah Berger shares his thoughts that are outlined in his most recent book: The Catalyst: How to Change... Read more
The 4 Most Common Types of Bias
What are the most common types of Bias? How do they influence a negotiation negatively? In episode 151 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, Dan Lappin talked about the dangers of the biases that we bring into the sales process. Your inherent bias influences every question you ask and decision you make. The best way to overcome bias is to cultivate an awareness of the baggage you’re bringing to the negotiating... Read more
How to Make ANY Negotiated Agreement Better
Businessmen and women often forget that a negotiated agreement can still be changed. You have the option and opportunity to optimize an agreement throughout the business relationship. Why would it benefit you to renegotiate what you thought was a good agreement? Josh Weiss talks about it extensively in an episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast. We share a few of his key thoughts in this post. You can be creative... Read more
Sean Callagy’s Strategy: Find the Pain Point to Get a Yes
Sean Callagy has developed a four-part communication strategy to go from “hello” to “yes” in a negotiation. One of the steps involves finding your counterpart’s pain point and understanding it at a deeper level. Why is finding someone’s pain point so important? People make decisions because they’re in pain and they want to get out of it. They want to avoid it—period. Sean points out that “People don’t get into... Read more
Procurement Best Practices in Digital Implementation
In a recent episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, I talked with Michael van Keulen (MVK)—the Chief Procurement Officer at Coupa Software. We talk about digital transformation in procurement and how many organizations are still resistant to change. MVK also talks about the importance of getting your stakeholders on board with any new implementation. Part of the digital transformation process is making sure you choose the right software. You need... Read more
How to Connect with Someone in Crisis
According to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2018 there was an average of 132 suicides per day. Millions of people in the United States alone lost their jobs in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. There is a rising concern among mental health experts that attempted suicide rates will increase—if they haven’t already. Many people are not properly equipped to handle days, weeks, and months of isolation and... Read more
How a GPO Benefits Members AND Suppliers
A GPO (Group Purchasing Organization)—negotiates contracts with major brands in thousands of different categories. They have already leveraged and negotiated contracts that allow YOU to take advantage of savings and service. The short version—according to Anthony Clervi—is that they help small or mid-cap businesses buy like the big guys. Most (but not all) GPOs are free to join. You jump on contracts that make sense a-la-carte and work directly with... Read more
Why Negotiation Strategy + Tactics + Mindset = Success
Dan Oblinger and Allan Tsang busted some myths about negotiation in a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja. One of the things they point out is that there is no “easy button” when it comes to negotiation. Negotiation is a learned craft that must be cultivated. You need to use the correct combination of negotiation strategies, tactics, and the right mindset. But aren’t negotiation tactics important? The major pitfall to being... Read more