Some people foster the idea that expert negotiators are visibly strategic, uptight, and greedy souls who enjoy “beating up” their counterparts at the negotiating table. The more lopsided deal they can engineer, the better.
Of course, there are some people who fit this description, but most of the smooth professionals rarely do.
They know when it pays to appear generous.
For example, I enrolled in a real estate review course because my knowledge needs to be updated and I realize that I am involved in important transactions. The instructor, a veteran realtor with decades of local experience and a great network of connections, offered me the opportunity to attend the class for free. I got a lot out of the first session, and noticing there were only a few of us there, I paid him the modest fee he was charging others.
Why did I do this when I could have paid absolutely NOTHING? You can’t get a better deal than “free”, right?
I know I will be calling on her in the future to help me in various ways, and if I can set the stage by showing a token of my gratitude for her excellent instruction, I know she will gladly take my calls and assist me. , by the way. Even a little advice or information from her will be worth possibly tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to me. It’s worth the investment of a few hundred, right now, don’t you think?
One of my early bosses, a wise University of Chicago graduate in philosophy, once told me, “Every business has to stand on its own.”
He was right, but he should also have said that the best deals pay off not only today, but with even bigger and better dividends tomorrow. Looking for negotiation best practices or expert advice on closing a big deal? Contact the author.
