As negotiations become ever more complex, it is necessary to find more creative solutions to make sure both parties gain value. To be creative in a negotiation you need to think differently, using your imagination to find original ideas. Here are three ways you can open your mind to be creative:
Read MoreLet's deal with the 'why' first. Everyone is talking about the era of big data. The account plan is about insights, not data, and it is about how to manage a top account in a very competitive marketplace. A key to the account plan is to use it as a living document to drive value with key stakeholders and not just ticking a box for the 'call' ratios on this account.
Read MoreSuccessful negotiating teams need to be well-prepared with solid research, 'what-if' scenarios and all the other essentials of negotiating. But they also need to be well-prepared as a team.
Read MoreTo find out what the real interests are in your negotiation you need to follow Roger Fisher's advice: separate the people from the substantive issues.
Over the years, I have been an observer and adviser to many global negotiations with individuals and companies that fail to heed this advice, and they always fail.
Read MoreThere are two main risk-taking styles on the continuum. It is important to know your basic style, as it has a great impact on your willingness to take risks during a negotiation. But, regardless of your personal style, you will move along the continuum and back again during a negotiation.
Read MoreIf there is anything that will destroy your negotiation, even before you start, it will be your belief that the other side is far stronger, wiser, bigger, has better products, or whatever.
Read MoreWhether you are negotiating on the sell-side with your best accounts or negotiating with key and strategic suppliers, the leadership team needs to be clear on how suppliers can create value that flows through to your best accounts.
Read MoreThe issue of creativity will determine whether or not your company will survive or become a statistic. Trying to create an environment that is conducive to creativity, both for yourself and your teams will ultimately become a top priority for your company. How can your team become more creative?
Read MoreTo make a decision in a negotiation you need to understand what will satisfy you and what you need to do to satisfy the needs and interests of the other party. Do they value the process of expanding the pie or are they fixed on a single outcome?
Read MoreHas innovation become a cliché? What does it really mean? People have many different ideas and here are just two:
In a disruptive and volatile B2B world, senior decision makers need to improve results much faster than ever. But growing revenue and profits in a sustainable way and creating more value for customers is becoming harder. So, everyone is searching for some innovation to help them overcome their increasing challenges.
Read MoreYour world is changing, and changing fast: characterised by turbulence; shifting regulations, evolving technology, economic uncertainty, and competitor movement and changing customer needs. These fast changes mean that you and your negotiation team needs to be more agile in response to these drivers.
As we continually say in our books and blogs, competitors are becoming more aggressive – favourite weapon of choice price. Customers are becoming more demanding, and shareholders are demanding increasing profits: so companies must either increase revenue or increase productivity. However, increasing revenue and productivity is getting harder.
The success of a negotiation depends on the planning and preparation done beforehand for each of the four distinct phases of the negotiation process:
Read MoreIn B2B settings negotiations are more complex than ever before. Most companies know how to prepare for and negotiate effectively but don't have a strategy or framework when negotiating with their top 10-20 accounts. They negotiate based on who is the 'top gun' negotiator.
Why is this?
Read MoreWe ended 2016 with a real wake-up call for everybody in a leadership, executive or management role – the status quo of business was disrupted.
Over the holiday break I would take a book down to the beach to read which inevitably attracted conversation from other beach goers, firstly on me being the only person reading a book with everybody else on some device.
I liked the book because it challenged some of my concepts around leadership and self-motivation and that is always a sign of a great book.
Read MoreIn a previous blog, we looked at the outcomes of negotiation. To reach these outcomes you need to take into account your own principals and those of the parties with who you are negotiating.
Read MoreIn a previous blog we looked at the types of negotiation, but it is equally important to choose your outcomes before you begin negotiating. Let's take a look at the different outcomes.
Read MoreTo be a successful negotiator you need to understand that a negotiation can only take place when everyone involved thinks they will get some benefit from the transaction. Both sides want to be in on the deal and all will influence the outcome.
To be successful you must:
In essence - be a TOP negotiator.
Read MoreI have previously resisted sending out a Christmas blog because I believed that the Queen or a world leader waited all year to send out their Christmas message, and I shouldn't create another one. However, it has been a busy year, Brexit, Trump, Turnbull and too many other things to mention. A couple of things happened this week that changed my mind.
Read MoreManagers in today's complex business environment require negotiation skills for business success. They need to develop a tool kit of negotiation strategies and understand how these influence and are influenced by their surroundings. Being successful in leading groups and shaping group decision making is vital, both internally and with key customers and suppliers.
In your tool kit you need tools to manage:
We have already explored the theme from market trends: Are procurement undervaluing suppliers? In this blog, we will concentrate on the need to understand culture in global negotiations.
The secret of great global negotiations is not one thing, but many: communication, planning, risk taking and cultural differences. But, one key item or secret of success can be gleaned from Aristotle in his book Rhetoric . The secret is: balance your negotiation argument with logic and emotion.
Read MoreIn a previous blog, we discussed the presenter's image as an interactive image. Now we will move onto the second method.
In this second method, the Persuasive Presenter allows the audience to select their own images for their own reason. This suits a workshop format and produces plenty of interaction.
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