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
The Parallels Between Undercover Work and Negotiation
Fortunato spent 23 years working at the FBI as a Hostage Negotiator and Undercover Agent. In 2023, she transitioned to conflict resolution training. In episode #341 of the Negotiations Ninja podcast, Melissa shared what it took to get into the right headspace to navigate undercover roles. Interestingly, many of the same shifts in mindset that she embraced can be applied to negotiation. Undercover work and negotiation require preparation Melissa notes... Read more
Mastering Your Inner Negotiation
Lousin Mehrabi has been working in the field of business negotiation for 20 years. She’s worked in the financial, investing, and stock exchange world, usually on commercial deals. She’s spent the last five years working as a freelance negotiator navigating complex deals. She routinely gives keynotes on how to negotiate with yourself. Mastering your inner negotiation can be a struggle. Many salespeople negotiate themselves out of a deal, often due... Read more
Navigating Different Political Views like a Negotiator
Is a conflict with a large group of people solvable? What happens if it can’t be controlled? There’s a consistent undercurrent of anger, distrust, and hatred. How do you deal with that at a large scale? Gary Noesner notes that people have been convinced through propaganda to be angry. They’ve been told they’re victims. They've been told that the people coming across the border are “taking their jobs.” If you... Read more
Understanding Culture: Don’t Steal Rocks from Iceland
A lot of Chinese negotiation is based on Confucianism Philosophy. The Western world has a Judeo-Christian background and approach. According to Joana Matos, Icelanders are strong believers in elves. Icelanders aren’t religious as a country because they were pagans before the church tried to convert them. In their hearts, they still embrace Viking beliefs. They won’t even move a large rock without consulting an elf expert to see if it’s home... Read more
Does Evoking Emotion in Persuasion Work?
Does evoking an emotional response make your argument more persuasive? If you can create a condition where someone is more afraid of something happening, does it become easier to make a decision? If you’re a politician and you can use the media to create emotion about a particular ideology, can that emotion be used to that person’s benefit? Theoretically, it all makes sense, right? But Andy Luttrell emphasizes that if... Read more
Navigating Emotional Expressions in Negotiation
Is emotional expressiveness important in negotiation? And if it is, what kind of emotions should you express? And can—or should—you control spontaneous emotional expressions? Spontaneous expressions and deliberate expressions come from separate motor neuron pathways. You don’t have full control over the spontaneous pathway like you do the deliberate pathway. Only about 10% of people can falsify spontaneous emotions. That’s why it’s so difficult to control the emotions being written... Read more
5 Benefits of Conflict Resolution Training in Your Business (Number 4 is Essential)
Since 2008, time spent on workplace conflict has doubled. This influx of time allocated to such disputes results in compromised productivity and reduced workplace satisfaction. If your business is managing numerous quarrels, help is available. We at Negotiations Ninja offer world-class conflict resolution training that can assist with workplace contention. Here are five benefits you can expect in your business from the course. 1. Higher Engagement Levels A highly engaged... 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