I recently came across an article about my grandfather Rubin Latz’s death on the front page of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune on December 25, 1948. A long-time Minnesota labor leader and close friend of former U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, I’m told he was...
I recently contacted a landscape designer to get a bid on our backyard and he came out to explore our thoughts. After checking everything out, he said he would put together his suggestions. He called a few days later and asked me to come to his nursery so he could...
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently engaged in one of the most consequential negotiations in U.S. history, as NBC News reported her as the one “fanning the flames” who “played a critical role in delicately nudging” President Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy...
Whether you love or hate former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, almost everyone can agree that she masterfully wielded the reins of power to accomplish major public policy changes (Obamacare would likely have never passed without her). Of course, her negotiation skills...
If you believe I have a better Plan B than doing a deal with you and can easily walk away from the table, then you will act accordingly. You will also be more likely to respond with a very aggressive counter if you believe my initial move was outrageous. And if you...
Several recent negotiation training attendees asked me how negotiations differ when you’re across the table from a company or individual based in another country or culture. I pointed them to a 2004 column I wrote entitled “Cross-Cultural Negotiations Present Special...
“Here’s the problem,” this consulting client in procurement told me years ago. “We’ve worked with this software company for a long time and our internal clients are pretty satisfied. But its fee just skyrocketed and it’s being really stubborn – no concessions at all....
I have coached and trained over 50,000 sales professionals in negotiation since I started in this business 25 years ago. Many have achieved great success, including some with seven-figure incomes. The most effective have excellent negotiation skills (since sales and...
I’m not much of a handyman. In fact, my father-in-law warns me all the time to stop overtightening everything. And he watches me with an eagle eye whenever I use any of his tools (and he has a veritable hardware store in his garage). It’s just not my skillset....
