How to Avoid Offending Germans, Swiss, and Austrians in Negotiations
Germans, Swiss, and Austrians are all people who speak German. Yet international negotiation expert Mihai Isman points out that despite the shared language, each culture negotiates quite differently. For example, the Swiss prefer to avoid conflict in negotiations and are oriented toward harmony. The Swiss excel at extracting the best deals from their opponents without appearing demanding or aggressive. They are confident in their products and services—but they are expensive.... Read more
4 Proven Benefits Negotiation Training Can Have on Your Business
Negotiation training is among the most critical aspects of doing business. And it’s easy to see why. The modern business world is hyper-competitive, and an increasingly demanding market forces you to be at your best. For this reason, your ability to negotiate is non-negotiable. Serious people will develop this essential skill through mediums such as negotiation courses. And those who are too lazy or indifferent to do so will be... Read more
Can You Negotiate Without a Relationship?
Romina Muhametaj is a marketing, sales, and negotiation expert who firmly believes in the power of building relationships to propel one’s career forward. Negotiating without a relationship will only get you so far. She emphasizes that there are three types of sales: Apples, oranges, and coconuts. Which do you prefer? Apples, oranges, or coconuts? 10% of the population are early adopters. They buy because something is new and shiny but... Read more
How to Shift Power in a Negotiation
Jack Schafer spent much of his career in counterintelligence in the FBI. But during his last seven years at the FBI, he worked in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), where they’d design interview strategies based on the vulnerabilities of someone’s personality. There are numerous psychological tactics that you can use in negotiations. Jack emphatically believes that whoever has power in the negotiation wins. It boils down to whoever gains the... Read more
Navigating “Hidden Redlines” During Contract Negotiations
Nada Alnajafi has experience as an in-house counsel for both startups and large companies. She’s currently corporate counsel for Franklin Templeton. Nada recently launched a blog called “Contract Nerds,” where she seeks to be a resource and community for everyone who works with contracts (lawyers, procurement professionals, contract managers, etc.). Her goal is to bridge the gap between the type of education people receive and the work they have to do. Nada... Read more
How to Create Leverage with a Narcissist
Rebecca Zung never set out to be the lawyer who goes toe-to-toe with high-conflict personalities. But today, tearing down manipulation tactics is her full-time gig. During the pandemic, she started sharing her tactical insights on YouTube, where her videos have now crossed over 20 million views. Since then, she’s sold thousands of copies of her course, SLAY Your Negotiation with a Narcissist. But how did she become specialized in narcissism?... Read more
Negotiating with the Dutch: Why are Dutch People So Direct?
Michael Van Keulen is the Chief Procurement Officer at Coupa Software. He’s also Dutch. In a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja, he shares some of the nuances of negotiating with Dutch people. One of the biggest takeaways: Dutch people are direct. Why are Dutch People So Direct? The Netherlands is a small country. Because of this, Michael notes that its people have to stand up for themselves, be creative, and differentiate.... Read more
Why Nonverbal Communication is Crucial in the Workplace
Experts agree: at least 70% of your communication is conveyed nonverbally. This fact makes nonverbal communication crucial for a productive workplace. It’s not enough to be mindful of what you say; you must also be observant of how you say it. Your tone, posture, gestures, etc., are all communication devices. Your body constantly transmits nonverbal cues that may not align with what you want to communicate. For this reason, nonverbal... Read more
How Your Personality Type Influences Your Negotiations
The five major personality types are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. If you’re someone who leans toward agreeableness, you might feel that it’s a weakness. So you try to compensate, thinking it’s a weakness. Maybe you shift toward being more assertive or dominant. Is this the right move? Or should you lean into your natural personality type? Let your personality type influence your choices Dr. Klaus Lassert points out... Read more
What Is Sustainable Negotiation?
What is meant by the “completion” of a negotiation? Is it when the deal is signed? And how do you maintain the relationship once your negotiation is complete? Eliane Karsaklian has developed the concept of building sustainable relationships, which she calls “sustainable negotiation.” What is a sustainable negotiation? Eliane based sustainable negotiation on the laws of physics. She’s learned that most decisions that are made in negotiations are short-term. Short-term... Read more