“I know it’s critical to view the negotiation process through your counterpart’s eyes,” a top executive at a multibillion dollar company recently told me. “But I’m not sure exactly how to do this. How can we set aside our own views and biases and really get into our...
I was surprised. We had developed a strategic negotiation plan and researched and considered a variety of possible reactions to our proposal. Yet his initial approach caught us off guard. In fact, it was inconsistent with our evaluation of his long-term interests and...
I recently sat in on a lecture from Rob Galford, co-author of “The Trusted Advisor,” which explains how to achieve professional success by earning clients’ trust and confidence. Since all negotiations involve trust, and a broad view of negotiation includes dealing...
“What should I do if my counterpart appears to act irrationally, or if their behavior just doesn’t make sense?” This possibility is extremely difficult to address as the negotiation research is dominated by how folks act and react in rational, logical ways. So if...
“The agreement you signed gave you 14 days to return the device and avoid a $175 Early Termination Fee. It’s now 18 days and I can’t waive the fee,” the customer relations person told me last Saturday. “But I never would have ordered it had your colleagues – two of...
I am in the midst of a contentious multi-party negotiation and have found myself occasionally reminding my colleagues of the value of the relationship with the other parties. While this value might appear obvious, we sometimes lose sight of the long-term as we focus...
You’re at your desk around 9:30 a.m. looking at your overwhelming “To Do” list, your stacked-up “In” box and wondering if your bonus – for once – will reflect your true value. Then the phone rings. It’s Bob, a potential strategic partner, calling to...
Here’s how it usually goes down. The prisoner is sitting alone in a locked room when two police officers enter. One’s the good cop. The other’s the bad cop. It’s a common negotiation tactic. Officer Toughguy starts by banging his hand on the table and pointing out –...
A lawyer recently hired me to help negotiate the settlement of a very large lawsuit. After spending several hours discussing the negotiation, I inwardly groaned. My client, while a successful lawyer, had unwittingly made a major strategic error in the negotiation....
I listed my house in 2003 at an aggressive price. I had been tracking the sales of comparable homes for eight years and had a good idea of what I could get. But you never know. So in setting my goal and determining my list price, I also asked two experts for advice:...
The telephone rang and caller ID showed a number starting with zeros. He was calling from South America and wanted to purchase the rights to something I owned. I was intrigued. The call was undoubtedly pricey, so I figured he must be serious. He was. The opening...
The vast majority of business professionals and lawyers acknowledge the value of strategic planning. “Of course strategic planning makes sense,” they admit. “We do it all the time, especially in setting our goals.” Yet many of these same...
