I recently concluded a few negotiations – business and personal – and learned and confirmed some things that have universal applicability to many negotiations. I have added these to my personal list of Negotiation Lessons Learned so they are front and center for me in...
I recently led a seminar with a panel of six expert negotiators from the legal and business worlds, and I asked each to share their most effective negotiation strategies. Here are some of their “pearls of wisdom” along with my thoughts on them. Three of the experts’...
Last month I shared the most effective negotiation strategies ever used – “pearls of wisdom” – by three of the six panel members from the legal and business worlds in a seminar I recently led. Here are the remaining three. Danny Ortega, Board Chair, National...
“What do we really need in almost every agreement, from a negotiation perspective?” This critical question points to the core of many negotiations. After all, if you can’t achieve your “must haves” in a negotiation – you’re usually better off walking away and not...
At stake was $150 million. AT&T was pitching its new telecommunications system. Boeing wanted to purchase it. Early in the negotiation AT&T described its reliable service, its prompt response rate and the speed with which it would fix possible problems. Boeing...
Have you ever seen someone completely lose control in a negotiation? Perhaps you inadvertently pushed one of their emotional buttons, and they let loose with a stream of invectives. Or perhaps they just suddenly started crying. Of course, perhaps it was you who lost...
A successful lawyer, she had left her practice to start a family. And she loved it, but it was a tough adjustment. While practicing law, she had staff who reported to her and she made decisions affecting thousands of people. At home, she discussed most significant...
“On several occasions I got so angry at the other side’s actions that I wrote a nasty e-mail and shot it off. Fortunately, it didn’t destroy the negotiations. But I’m worried my temper will cause bigger problems next time. What should I do?” This comment, from a...
I recently hired a new executive assistant and one thing came through loud and clear in her interviews – one of our most important mutual interests was our potential compatibility and our respective attitudes toward our responsibilities. She also brought a very...
A consulting client recently accepted a very attractive offer to settle a lawsuit despite their pretty accurate analysis that the case – if they took it through trial – would almost certainly result in a much better result. This seems illogical. Yet they were quite...
“I feel so committed to my client that I have a really hard time being objective and analytical in my negotiations on their behalf,” a lawyer told me recently. “I really take things personally. What should I do?” This issue, which can also impact those negotiating for...
You walk into a car dealership to buy a new vehicle. A salesman approaches, introduces himself as “John,” and asks how he can help. You say, “I’m looking for a new SUV. My old one is rusting out. It grew up in Minnesota, just like me.” “Really,” John says. “Where in...
