Our AC unit recently went on the blink with the temperature in Scottsdale around 115. Yikes! We needed to get it fixed or replaced ASAP. Talk about weak leverage! Fortunately, we found an AC guy willing to come out within a day and fix it. I’ve never been happier to...
Years ago, I negotiated a business partnership involving my then negotiation planning and management software company, which helped individuals negotiate strategically based on the experts’ research. While that partnership did not succeed to the level we had...
Sports superstars are a different breed. Many have been treated like prima donnas since they first exhibited otherworldly physical skills in their chosen sport, some as early as 10 years old. As a result, they often have different interests than the rest of us. This...
Near the end of the negotiation, basketball legend Michael Jordan’s mom drops a dealbreaker on Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro when she says we are good “except for one minor provision – Michael gets a percentage of the revenue of each shoe sold.” This move, from the...
I’m a big sports fan. Phoenix Suns. Pro tennis and football. March Madness. Not a fanatic. But I really enjoy watching elite athletes compete. I also fully appreciate the behind-the-scenes element in sports, especially at the pro level. Other than these...
I’m In the behavior modification business. I try to change negotiation behavior from instinctive or intuitive – the way we have negotiated since we were toddlers – to strategic based on the experts’ proven research. I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, and...
Here’s my annual list of lessons learned and a reminder to put these strategies into practice in 2023. You won’t get better results if you don’t implement them. Each also has a link to my column with more detail. Negotiating with the elderly requires specialized...
I recently watched the movie “Bridge of Spies” in which Tom Hanks, playing an American lawyer, negotiated the release of a U.S. spy pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and a U.S. student unlawfully detained in East Germany in exchange for a convicted...
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley recently sparked an uproar within the Biden Administration and strained U.S.-Ukrainian relations when he suggested that the potential stalemate in the Ukraine-Russian War provides a “window of opportunity for negotiation.”...
I wrote a column in 2011 entitled “In Person Talks Often Best Option” for The Arizona Republic. Given the timeliness of this subject as many CFOs and others contemplate the money saved with employees Zooming from home and staying away from airports, I thought I would...
“Should I take the deal? I don’t want any regrets. It seems great, but I could be leaving a lot on the table. What should I do?” I get this question a lot. How should you decide? 1. Does it satisfy your fundamental goals and interests? Go back to the...
Almost 30 years ago, I was sitting in my office when a senior partner at the law firm stuck his head in my door and asked if I wanted to join him that day in judging a negotiation competition at Arizona State University’s (ASU’s) College of Law. A senior associate was...
