In 1981, Herb Cohen wrote and published “You Can Negotiate Anything”, an excellent guide to great negotiating. I’ve read and reread the book a number of times and find myself using the techniques often in many areas of my life. One of his lessons remains clearly on my mind and is a variant of the […]
Negotiating
You Name the Price; I’ll Name the Terms
I admit that my dad taught me this when I was just a fifteen-year old kid starting a business and negotiating with suppliers for the first time. But I learned it again and again in my various business lives. The most striking example was the one hundred-million-dollar purchase of one of my companies by a […]
3 Ways to Reduce Cost of Goods Sold
The cost of the materials used to make the product or service you sell directly impacts your profit. This is easy to see, because the less you have to spend to get the product, the more money you get to keep when you sell it. It would seem to many then, that the cheaper the […]
“We Can’t Justify Your Price…”
We were debriefing a closing call. Bill’s solution had been selected. Bill had done a great job in competing and in justifying the value of his solution. There was a strong business case demonstrating tremendous improvements in productivity. In this case, the customer was growing faster than their ability to bring people on board supporting the […]
Negotiate Properly to Secure a Beneficial Agreement
When your company or startup doesn’t make a good profit and you barely have any negotiating leverage, conventional negotiation rules don’t apply.
Learn to Negotiate in 7 Easy Steps
Avoiding negotiations is not a very smart way of conducting a successful business. In fact, in today’s competitive business environment it’s almost impossible to avoid negotiation.
3 Ways to Successfully Bootstrap a Product-Based Business
Bootstrapping any business is tough, but establishing a consumer product-based business versus a service-based or tech-based startup creates some very specific challenges.
5 Ways to Make Your Negotiations Less Painful and More Successful
Negotiations can be extremely painful for the inexperienced. Feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and concern usually lead to bad deals. Believe it or not, there are smart techniques you can use to make negotiations less nerve-wracking.
The Common Habits of Negotiators
Negotiations begin with the interchange of information, and many see this process like a challenging poker game—why should I reveal what I have in my hand before I can see what you have in yours?
4 Key Negotiation Tips for Small Business Owners
Being a solid negotiator is a trait most successful small business owners possess. In many instances, coming to an agreement or making a deal with someone can literally be the difference between making substantial income and struggling to get by financially.
