It’s All a Game – Negotiation – There are Winners and there are Losers

On the subject of negotiation few lines are more often repeated than the title of this blog.? I dare say none could be further from the truth.? What’s true?

You will get in life that which it is you negotiate for, no more often less.?

As we head into the new year for many of us that means annual deals, renewing contracts or agreements or maybe a new deal for you.? As the top 3% we know, we’re in too many ways, only as good as our last deal.? Keeping our skills sharp:? Persuasion, coxing, and deal making is our edge.? Take careful note.? What’s not in that list?? This post is part One of Three.? It’s All A Game – don’t be sucked into the lie.

There are enough books on negotiation, (OMG vomit). ?And you don’t need me to start with; “When you were a baby you cried….”? Now I’m really sick.? It’s a game - there are winners.? Bu___ S____!?

I know you’ve likely been taught that since before you could sign into your email.? If you’ve read a book or taken a class this is more than likely what you’ve seen or been shown.? It’s BS!? The 97% believe this horse hockey.? Think about it this way.? Patrick Mahomes, how do you would you guess he thinks about football?? As “a game”?? Humm… Zack Wheeler (I love watching this guy toss a ball) when he looks at a baseball does he think “kids stuff?”? Taylor Swift would you say she sees her music as a muse?? Our professional success comes from moving others to see things our way.? This is negotiating.? Not a game, it’s what we do.

Let’s start where the greats all do, at the end.? What we find at there is called BATaDD, pronounced Bated.

The thick fog had the visibility down to a fifty yards.? That made what was already the challenge of offshore (out of sight of land) navigation that much more intense.? We were looking for a marker buoy with a bell out in what seemed like the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.? If we didn’t find it in 30 not more than 40-minutes.? We’d turn exactly 180 degrees (I was watching the compass carefully) and head back (about 5 hours sailing) till we could see land and mark a position and get set to try again.?

That’s BATaDD!

Short recap:? We know we’re (largely) measured by our last deal.? – ?Fair or not this is the way it is.? Knowing this is our edge.? Keeping our persuasion skills sharp is not optional.? Like others at the top of their industry we know it’s not a game, not practice and we don’t get do-overs.? That’s why we take the time to plan for what we DON’T want.

BATaDD what if I missed that buoy in fog and didn’t hear the bell?? Without a plan for what I didn’t want “lost at sea” was a real.? Okay that’s a bit over dramatic but I think you get the idea.?

The top 3% have a plan for when things don’t go to plan.? In the coming weeks we’re going to look at persuasion skills and tools for successful negotiation, but adding this one alone could be a game changer.?

You need a 10% rate increase do you start at 12.5%?? What happens if the client pushes you to 9%?? Is 8% where you fold up the laptop and walk from the deal?? Is there “candy” that can make a deal work?? BATaDD thinks about all of this.?

·????? B Best

·????? A Alternative

·????? To

·????? A

·????? D Dead

·????? D Deal

One final thought:? The best deals are almost always the ones where no one is happy. ?

I know that seems counter intuitive.? You should be thrilled or your client happy or something like that.? Think deeper…. The best deals, agreements are balanced partnerships almost.? I buy from you at a price where I can add value and resell at a profit that benefits my share and stakeholders.? If I force you to sell too low that’s a lopsided deal.? Good for me and my partners for a while but ultimately untenable.? If you force me to pay too much the inverse is true.? The best deals, the lasting ones are more often than not the balanced deals where the seller has sold for bit less then they’d like and buyer has paid a bit more they’d like.? If your career is marked by unhappy agreements like these above, you’ll be VERY successful.?

Parties: The individuals or groups involved, each with their own interests and objectives.

Issues: The specific points of contention or discussion.

Positions: The stated demands or offers of each party.

Interests: The underlying needs, motivations, and concerns driving those positions.

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Be 100% you that’s more than enough

Bill

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