Why Stories are Powerful in B2B Sales
We often forget about the power of story in B2B sales. It’s because we disconnect the product or service from a person. We feel like we’re selling to a company. But no matter what company someone works for—their name is always on their card. But because we feel that disconnect, we avoid telling stories altogether. It’s a huge mistake. Why? Because stories are the language of the brain. We think... Read more
Only Say It If You Believe It
Mala Subramaniam is an Executive Coach, Speaker, and the author of “Beyond Wins: Eastern Mindset for Success in Daily Business Negotiations.” She’s also a proponent of the Eastern approach: Solution-oriented negotiation and problem-solving. To her, negotiation is an opportunity to build relationships while achieving business outcomes. Mala believes that when you’re negotiating, you should only argue for something that you believe in. It isn’t just about “winning” over someone else.... 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
5 Simple Conflict Resolution Strategies for Workplace Disputes
As an enterprise leader, conflicts are an unfortunate (and inescapable) part of life. Due to the vastly varied views and opinions of people, it’s inevitable that conflicts will occur periodically for you to manage. But the idea is not to avoid them; instead, you want to resolve them through effective communication. This essential skill can be learned and developed via conflict resolution training. At Negotiations Ninja, we are a team... 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 planned to become a lawyer who specializes in negotiating with narcissists. Now, it’s her full-time gig. During the pandemic, she started posting on YouTube. Her videos have now been viewed over 20 million times. She’s sold thousands of copies worldwide of her course called “SLAY Your Negotiation with a Narcissist.” But how did she become specialized in narcissism? What led her to become a leading expert on... 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
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