Thomas Edison added up the time and killing pace he had put into inventing the “Universal” stock ticker, a device later used by brokerage houses, and decided he was entitled to $5,000 for it. Ultimately, he figured he’d accept $3,000. So when General Lefferts, the...
Walkouts Present Risk in Negotiation Strategies Donald Trump has walked out of so many negotiations near the end – purely as a negotiation strategy – that the “Trump walkout” has become one of his trademarks. Editor’s Note: this article was published November...
They offered him $15 million for his software company, and he said “No.” So they offered him $25 million, and he said “No” again. Finally, they asked him what it would take. “My board will not accept anything less than 3 million shares (worth about $45 million),” he...
“If we only had a little more time, I’m sure we could have reached a deal. We were so close.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a variation of this “we were so close” statement. Every time, the speaker sounds sincere. Almost every time, they’re wrong. Why?...
“What should I do if I don’t have nearly the same level of factual knowledge as my counterpart – and I just don’t have the time to learn it as it’s super complicated and I have a short deadline in which to respond?” Here’s what I recommend. 1. ...
“Go ahead, make my day,” said Clint Eastwood as inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan in the movie “Sudden Impact.” This threat, backed up with a large gun and delivered to a “punk” holding a hostage, was very effective — as intended. But what about less violent...
“A principle is involved,” he said, “and that’s why we’re taking a hard line. The principle is just too important to undermine. As a result, we will not concede on that issue.” This “principle is involved” negotiation move can be one of the most frustrating to...
How many times have you heard in a negotiation “but it’s the principle involved”? Countless times, I’m sure. But is it really? Or is it just a subterfuge for “I don’t want to move and calling it a principle is a convenient and relatively painless way to avoid doing...
“Let’s just split the difference,” he suggested after we had negotiated all day over my client’s lawsuit. Our last offer? $320,000. His last? $300,000. Sounds fair, right? Almost everyone has used this closing technique when negotiations drag on. After all, splitting...
