There’s one main negotiation reason procurement professionals/buyers send out Requests for Proposals (RFPs) – to create leverage by developing better Plan Bs to their Plan A (which is not buying or just sticking with its incumbent). Of course, sellers also seek...
The major deal points for the sale of my client’s company were set. But we still needed to negotiate terms and conditions (Ts and Cs). And both sides needed it done quickly. As a result, my client insisted that we send a draft “final” contract, with very little room...
Years ago, a potential client asked me to help him negotiate and sell some commercial real estate in Phoenix. After he agreed to my fee, I sent him my standard two-page consulting contract to review and sign. Several days later, he suggested we just do this on a...
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...
No one is perfect. And everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are minor, but other times we really mess up. It’s human. Of course, companies mess up, too. So, what can we do, especially if you and/or your company need to repair the relationship and rebuild...
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...
New York Knicks’ superstar NBA guard Jalen Brunson reportedly just took $112 million less in compensation than he could get on the open market so he could stay with the Knicks. Wow! Of course, he’s still getting $156 million over four years! And NBA superstar...
“I don’t like it when procurement gets involved and takes over from our client in the General Counsel’s office,” this large law firm partner told me recently. “They don’t recognize our true value and just focus incessantly on price, like we’re a commodity. We’re...
I sold children’s shoes in high school at Dayton’s Department Store, and we took everything back – no questions asked. The shoes could have been worn for a day or a year. Dayton’s policy was clear: the customer is always right on returns Of course, some took advantage...
