Daily Biz Solutions

By John McKee, Founder and President of BusinessSuccessCoach.net

Expert’s Top 7 Tips for Leveraging Business Negotiation Skills as a Life Skill

Everything is fair game; whether you covet a new job, a raise, a business deal, a new car, some new bling, or need to rectify a problem with a loved one, the “art of negotiation” is your secret weapon to achieving the result you want. Indeed, among the greatest strengths of very successful business people is their ability to out negotiate with others to achieve their desired result.

Negotiating need not be back and forth, point-counterpoint banter. Rather, the most proficient negotiators manage these conversations in such a way that the other party likely does not even know they are engaged in a bargaining process. The bottom line is simple: if there is something you want that is in someone else’s control, knowing how to negotiate will stack the odds in your favor.

With this in mind, here are my top 7 tips on turning business negotiation skills into a life skill:

1. First and foremost, be prepared to walk away. This is single most important strategy to getting what you want out of life. If you aren’t prepared to say, “No” and mean it; then you are likely to end up settling for a lesser outcome. Before entering into the negotiation, know in advance exactly what you are and are not willing to concede, so that you do not need to process this information on-the-fly without adequate time to weigh the pros and cons of each.

2. Know when to forego all together. A good deal comes together quickly – a bad deal takes way too long. Take a clue from the amount of time it’s taking to get what you want and, if exceedingly long, don’t waste valuable time and effort with the misguided notion that “just one more” give or take will make the deal work. If you have to “force it,” chances are it will come back to bite you later on.

3. Deal at the right level. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to do a deal with an individual who can’t make the final decision. It’s like negotiating against yourself – you address an issue and try to come to a conclusion and then the other person takes that to someone else “behind the scenes” only to come back and say it can’t be done on those terms. It’s far more efficient and effective to find the right person to negotiate with directly, “(wo)mano y (wo)mano.” If you don’t know or if it’s not obvious if you’re dealing with the right person, directly ask up front if they have authority to make a final decision on the matter.

4. Due diligence to come prepared. The more information you have surrounding the circumstances of your endeavor, the “marketplace,” for example, the more likely you are to not only prevail, but also get the best deal possible. While you may actually prevail by shooting in the dark, not knowing the extent of the opportunity could result in your leaving a lot on the table. Whether it’s the average pay for a given job, the price typically paid for a product or a service, or who you are in competition with for a new position – knowledge is truly power.

5. Don’t take anything personally. To maintain objectivity, treat every negotiation as if you are doing a deal for someone else who has hired you as the professional “closer.” When you allow yourself to get emotionally involved, rational thought often goes by the wayside and you’re far more likely to concede to your later regret. Cool heads get the best, and most, out of what they are seeking.

6. Anticipate objections. Prior to the negotiation, brainstorm all the reasons or objections that may prevent you from getting what you want – and prepare a thoughtful counterpoint for each, one at a time. During a negotiation, people conjure all sorts of reasons why something can’t be done, many of which are often bogus. Until you know the valid sticking point, you are just spinning your wheels.

7. Don’t underestimate Karma. What goes around indeed comes around. The best deal is one where both parties walk away feeling positive about the result of the negotiation. The worst deal is that where one side leaves the table feeling slighted with the short end of the stick. If you’re the kind of person who “has” to win and is prepared to humiliate or otherwise make someone feel bad as a result, sooner or later the gain is likely to come back to haunt you. Accordingly, consider in advance what would satisfy the opposition and be prepared to pull those “cards out of your pocket” strategically during the course of discussion.

About the Author

In my 30-years as a corporate executive and as a business success coach for others , I have learned what works and what does not work in striving toward a desired outcome both in the workplace and in one’s personal life. Interestingly, the process is very much the same in both environments. The key is to be tough but fair in such dealings, come prepared, and know when to walk away.
John McKee, Founder and President of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, is the author of “Career Wisdom” and “21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot.” He can be reached at 720-226-9072, , or through his web sites at www.BusinessSuccessCoach.net and www.BusinessWomanWeb.com.

Hard to get Candidates to Relocate (relocation)? Due to Low Housing Prices?

by the medical sales recruiter
Author Website: http://www.phcconsulting.com/WordPress/2008/12/12/candidate-relocation-is-a-problem-due-to-low-housing-prices/

In better times, a standard relocation package included a house-hunting trip, moving expenses, and maybe closing costs and realtor fees. These days of falling housing prices are inspiring more companies to offer home-buying perks to the packages of even lower-level candidates if the candidate’s house doesn’t sell, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Relocation has always been a big decision, even if the move is to a very desirable location. But if a candidate anticipates major problems with selling his or her current house, it could put a damper on his or her enthusiasm over the new job. There are tips to be found on negotiating a buyout offer with a hiring company, but although some companies are adding buyouts to their packages, some companies are cutting costs instead.

If your internal talent won’t move, call me. I can find talent who will…
or who lives there already. And then you can use the $$ savings for training or other revenue-generating activities. In fact, using a recruiter and hiring locally could be a profit center for you.
Call me.

There are many great opportunities right now in medical sales, laboratory sales, pharmaceutical sales, clinical diagnostics sales, imaging sales, biotech sales, DNA products sales, cellular/molecular products sales, medical equipment sales, medical device sales, pathology sales, hospital equipment sales, and surgical supplies sales. Don’t let a relocation issue become a missed opportunity.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

A case of tough grapes

I attended an accident call where a person had slipped on a grape falling over causing serious injury to them and they were going to sue the company. Believe it or not but slips and falls are fairly common in workplaces and need a good system of investigation and report management to reduce the amount of false claims.

Tough break

I was the closest response member so I took the call and headed in. Having worked in insurance fraud investigations I always take note when someone states they are suing immediately after an injury, because most people worry about being embarrassed when they fall over and don’t want to sue.

If this person was trying to make a false claim it was their bad day because I was handling the accident investigation for this one instead of a lesser experienced member.

On arrival at the scene

As I enter the location I immediately scan the floor and position of everything nearby, including the position of the injured person for my report.

They stated that they were walking along as normal before they stepped on a loose grape. The grape burst causing them to skid on the floor and fall to the ground on their knees, bruising them heavily.

I listened intensively and let them tell their statement while at the same time I am making close observations regarding the nature of the injuries, the type of surface, shoe condition, and location of any carried items.

Taking good evidence photographs

I had a second team member with me who was tasked to take the photographs for the report and they worked quietly in the background according to our accident investigation procedures. They know to respond and take photographs of whatever I point out without being noticed.

In this investigation I discreetly pointed to the shoes being worn at the time of the slip and fall because I wanted a photograph of the soles.

Giving them a chance to change their statement

After taking down their statement I asked if they were sure of their statement and if I could ask some questions to confirm in detail the events of the injury.

I pointed out to them that the grape they state was stepped on was still intact and loose on the floor. It was clear that it was intact in every way. Were they sure they had stepped on the grape and not just slipped on the floor when walking.

They were adamant that they stepped on that grape but it was just tough and didn’t break.

Collecting the evidence

In completing my report I noted the condition of the tough grape which I had collected, a photograph of the shoes that showed signs of heavy wear but no grape juice or liquid marks at all, and a copy of the surveillance footage showing her running along the floor chasing her child before the slip.

Report complete and the company was not sued.

© Copyright 2008 by Paul Baker

Information supplied by Paul Baker

Over twenty years security & risk management experience across Australia to protect corporate clients from critical incidents and security risks.

Previously served in the Military and expert in explosives, weapons, and information gathering techniques.

Achieved formal qualifications in a wide range of security risk management skills and commendations for crisis response operations

Training Manager
Between the Lines training
0433 249 825

http://short-courses.com.au

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