All posts with the ‘ strategy ’ Tag

Preparing for a negotiation can be exhilarating.

That rush of adrenaline that comes with conflict; the challenge of puzzling out options and alternatives to give yourself the best deal; the pride in realizing that you’re standing up for yourself and your work.

And, sometimes, the sharp pain of punching yourself square in the nose.… Read More

For this installment of Good Advice I answer a question spawned by a previous post.  Because I’m shameless like that.… Read More

A good portion about negotiation is crafting a deal that the other side will want to agree to.  It is about building something that works very well for you and well enough for the other side to say “yes.”  But we’ve never talked about how to build a good deal.

Until now.… Read More

Let’s talk craftsmanship.

Being a good negotiator in the thick of things takes a lot of hard work and awareness of what you and the other side are after.  But if you have the luxury of time and the ability to prepare, you can create a beautiful deal that best meets your interests, sufficiently entices the other side and holds the door open to future … Read More

Our next question for the Good Advice series comes from the Beat Your Head Against A Wall Department.

“I work now and then for a company that refuses, absolutely refuses, to entertain the idea of royalties.  I’ve told them over and over again that royalties are industry standard for the kind of work I’m doing; I’ve even shown them my contracts with other companies to … Read More

Regardless of where you come down on this whole debt ceiling business, if you want to hone your negotiation skills, it is the thing to pay attention to.  Because watching people screw things up beyond all recognition is a fantastic way of learning.

Here are the major lessons I hope you take away from this debacle.… Read More

Let’s say you’re having an argument online with a friend about Star Trek.

 … Read More

Preconceptions suck. They’re usually wrong, for starters, and in the context of a negotiation, they can mean that you waste a lot of time combatting what the other person thinks they know about you rather than dealing with the actual issue. Common preconceptions in negotiating include: women don’t negotiate; artists are bad at business; freelancers make a pile of money because they don’t have overhead expenses; large businesses have a pile of money to spend because they’re large businesses; and the other side is probably hiding something sinister from you. But not matter how unhelpful preconceptions are, they persist. And when you find yourself the victim of one in a negotiation, it can stall or even ruin the deal. Rather than give up and roll over, try these things the next time you think the other side has ass.u.me.ed they know all about you.