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
How to De-escalate Your Counterpart’s Anger
What happens when a negotiation spins out of control and everyone is angry? How do you deal with a counterparts’ emotion? Do you simply walk away? Or reschedule? Dealing with strong emotions can be one of the most difficult parts of a negotiation. It’s also one of the topics of conversation in episode #175 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast. Svitlana Kalitsun—a negotiation trainer based in Vienna, Austria—shares how you can... Read more
Understanding Cultural Differences in Middle-Eastern Negotiations
Formalized trade deals are beginning to take place between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. It’s a historically monumental move that’s come about as the world is in turmoil from the coronavirus pandemic. In episode #173 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, Dr. Shira Mor talks about honor-culture and the unprecedented trade deals and what those negotiations look like. They’re learning a lot from these business negotiations, and she was kind... Read more
Eastern Philosophy in Negotiation
What Eastern philosophy can you embrace to enhance your negotiations? How does an Eastern mindset influence the negotiation process? Mala Subramaniam answered these questions in episode 145 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast. Mala is a cross-cultural trainer and executive coach with over 20 years of experience. Towards the beginning of her career, she taught what she had learned from books and training. Then one day someone asked her about Indian... Read more
What it REALLY Means to Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Shoes
We’ve ALL heard the adage “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” In theory, we can wrap our head around the concept. You try and think like the other person and understand things from their perspective. But it is hard to put into practice. In a recent episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, Bob Burg shed some light on why it’s so difficult. Your belief system shapes your worldview Human beings... Read more