This was a panel opener preso I did for the SPMI - SIngapore Project Management Institute. Organized as Paul's Top 10 Tipservations (tips/observations).
3. Paul Southern
• Negotiation in business
–25 years in ICT Customer-facing
–6 continents, 6 million miles
–Mature & emerging, big & small, new &
old, internal & external
–Bizdev, sales, delivery, close/exit
• Negotiation everywhere, eg: fiancé,
family, teachers, the taxi driver, etc…
6. Know when to hold ‘em, fold em, etc…
• KNOW. Not guess, decide, blunder.
• Before you’re at the table.
• Decisions in the heat of the moment
are rarely great decisions.
• It’s (usually) ok to revert.
• Have a playbook, rehearse whatif’s.
8. Know who their King is
• Who’s making the final, final, final,
final decision.
• Their King may simply want to meet
your King.
• May be their internal thing but try
to get some credit.
• The King is a person too.
10. Know your strengths
• Every person/company has
strengths.
• Not all others recognize that
strength… find someone who does.
• Being small can be a strength.
14. Don’t be afraid to call for help
• Especially in unclear
empowerments.
• There is no excuse for not
communicating, not asking for help.
• Be proactive.
16. White knights may not be the solution
• Motivated or mercenary?
• Are they truly empowered or is
there an ugly turf war in the exec
office?
• Do they have to live with it
afterwards?
18. Beware the twilight zone
• The last 72 hours are the wierdest,
most dangerous.
• White Knights often appear.
• Quarters may be ending, emotions
are high corners cut, cave-ins,
etc…
22. Even bad outcomes have some good
• Search for the good bit.
• You may need to spin it a bit.
• Experience is valuable – it’s better
to try and fail than to not try at all.
24. Win-wins are either elusive or spun
• Decide the win-criteria before you
play.
• Win-wins require different criteria.
• A win-win is the eye of the
beholder.
26. We negotiate with people
• People of value, with lives, family,
other interests.
• People chosen to do this job.
• Sometimes we can change the
counter-party.
30. Trust matters, a lot
• We work better with people we like.
• We work better with people we
trust.
• Trust is earned (over a long time).
• Trust can be destroyed in an instant.
• Your reputation matters, a lot and
for a long time.