Five Rules for Negotiating Like A Pro

Mary Greenwood has negotiated most of her 25 year professional career as an Attorney, Mediator, Human Resources Director, Arbitrator, Law School Professor, and Union Negotiator. She has developed a list of rules from Union Negotiations and applied them to every day negotiations.

Billing Tips for the New Expert Witness

How much should I charge for my expert witness services? It's an important question that will determine the success of your consulting practice.

Expectation in Negotiation

The fact that people's expectations influence reality can help dramatically in the negotiation process. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to perform. When we know someone expects something from us, we try to satisfy her/him in order to gain respect and likeability.

Negotiation Hazards

What might work wonderfully in one negotiation situation will not always be appropriate in another. The instant someone feels cheated, misled or taken advantage of, your opportunity to negotiate with her/him is over. Negotiation hazards tend to occur when you are taking a particular strategy too far.

Negotiating Skills; What's My Interest?

I read earlier this year that the Palestinian Prime Minister had received support from militants to give up their weapons in exchange for government jobs. On face value it struck me as a stark example of the difference between a person’s interest and position. The position of the “militants” is well publicised, their interests however, appear to be more personal. Job security providing an income to support their families is closer to their interest.

Negotiating in a Crisis Situation: The Time Factor

When negotiating in a crisis situation time is always a major consideration. Time can be your best friend and how you use it will determine your outcome many times. Ask any hostage negotiator about time, it is always the key. The key to Negotiating in a Crisis Situation is time; The Time Factor must be considered.

Negotiating with Unions to Take Pay Severance Packages

Any high-ranking corporate top executive will tell you that negotiating with the unions is no easy matter and if it is not done correctly it causes a rift between management and labor and can disrupt the company for years to come. In this case, it is usually the management that must go, as the union generally stays intact because without labor you cannot run your business.

Conversational Debate Trickery and Common Courtesy Issues

When debating with someone else who begins using normal human conversational trickery, often they will demand common courtesy if the debate gets heated. Although in reality no one should not expect any common courtesy who uses such tactics, as they move to make the other party look foolish, eat their words or backtrack on a previous comment.

Negotiating Contracts: A Little Bit of Healthy Curiosity Goes a Long Way

A decade ago, a fairly absurd contract negotiation taught me again how a little good listening and a lot of curiosity can unlock a stuck negotiation and pave the path to a good working relationship.

If I Knew Being Brave Was So Scary I Never Would Have Tried It

Greater self-awareness and increased emotional intelligence help you overcome fear of conflict and become a better negotiator in the workplace.

What to Say When A Buyer Calls

Every business owner is approached from time to time by would-be buyers who express interest in courting them for acquisition. The way you handle those early interactions can make a huge difference in the likelihood of a successful and lucrative sale. Learn what to say and what questions to ask.

Quick Conflict Resolution Tricks: What Not To Do During A Quarrel

The harder you push, the more they'll kick you back. Hard. Here's how to avoid that.

Negotiating Concessions

First of all, effective negotiation skills will NEVER make up for poor selling skills or attitudes. With that as a given, let’s look at some of the negotiation problems common to many salespeople today. Let me give you four basic negotiation concession concepts/premises, and then a little more detail on them.