The Negotiation Experience

Great Negotiators Avoid Unforced Errors. Instead of aggressively forcing outcomes, focus on minimizing your own mistakes—ask the right questions, listen actively, and stay composed. Doing so creates opportunities for your counterpart to overshare critical information, giving you leverage. Great negotiators control the game by making fewer mistakes and letting the other side falter. Remember, success often comes from letting the other side make the critical errors that work in your favor. #negotiations #negotiationskills #negotiationtraining

I'm heading to San Francisco today to speak at Chief Executive Network's meeting with a group of Presidents and CEOs from the manufacturing, technology and software industries. My topic: Building a negotiation culture in your organization for competitive advantage. I will discuss how everyone, from managers to engineers, plays a role in shaping successful negotiations. The goal is to ensure that each employee understands how to contribute to value creation and effective outcomes in their daily interactions, whether directly negotiating or supporting the process behind the scenes. #Chiefexecutivenetwork #negotiations #companyculture

How much is your team unknowingly giving away in every negotiation? Let’s fix that. Don't let your team learn on their own. It's time-consuming and expensive. We'll get them makeing better agreement one day after training. #negotiations #negotiationtraining #negotiationskills

See what Andrew took away from my session in Omaha. Thinking of introducing your team to how to prepare for their negotiations? Reach out, and let's discuss how I can help. #negotiaions #negotiationskills #negotiationtraining

Negotiation Skills—No Theory, Just Action Want to master negotiation? Here’s the secret: It’s not about theory; it’s about applying it in real situations. In my training, you’ll hear my firsthand experiences from the front lines, plus powerful insights from other clients who’ve seen real success. Forget abstract concepts—this is all about giving you the tools you can use immediately to win your toughest negotiations. If you want results, this is the training you can’t afford to miss.

What would you be worried about if you were sitting in your counterpart’s seat? What would you hope to gain from this negotiation? Flip the table and look at the negotiation from the other side's perspective before you start trading or making concessions.

If you don’t anchor first, you’ll spend the entire deal chasing lost ground. Anchor the negotiation on your terms—don’t let the other side set the tone. Allowing them to go first risks surrendering control and losing valuable leverage. Instead, present your contract or proposal upfront. This creates a psychological anchor that frames the discussion around your starting point. If you don’t, you may spend the rest of the negotiation trying to return to more favorable ground.

Before you give anything away in a negotiation, pause to assess its true VALUE to the other side. If it means little to you but everything to them, you risk losing LEVERAGE forever. For example, you might say, “All our clients and prospects get access to our engineers. It’s no big deal.” But if they rely on your specialized skills, that access is a big deal to them. Instead of handing it out freely, TRADE engineer access for concessions like higher volume, better pricing, or a longer contract. Reserve unlimited access for only your top customers. If you want more tips on building LEVERAGE in your next negotiation, send me a message. #negotiations #negotiationtraining #negotiationskills

Negotiation isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the story. Without a compelling narrative, you’re just another vendor in a sea of vendors. Teach your team to tell stories that: ?? Resonate ?? Differentiate ?? Close How? With a narrative arc that focuses on these elements: Intention, Motivation, Obstacle, Stakes, Approach and Resolution Great negotiators aren’t just great talkers. They’re great storytellers.

If you (or your team) want to truly master negotiation, you’re faced with two paths: Learn the hard way – through years of costly mistakes and missed opportunities. It’s a slow, expensive teacher, but it works. Invest in negotiation training – and skip ahead, avoiding the painful lessons that come from leaving value on the table. So, the real question is – how much is your company willing to lose while learning the hard way? For me, it was a mix of both. I made plenty of mistakes, but early negotiation training helped me spot and correct them before they became too expensive. How much faster could you or your team grow with the right tools in hand today?