Stressed out and stretched thin. That’s today’s business theme. All kinds of businesses are making tough choices. Customers are cutting back. Some are on the brink of disaster, while others are perfectly fine but act like they are on the verge of collapse. All of this...
There is an urgent problem facing many companies: Deflation, the devaluing of goods and services as demand shrivels up. For the past 5 years that I’ve been teaching and coaching negotiation skills, my clients have been faced with pressure to reduce prices. Folks, this...
There is a lot of power in making an opening offer. In fact, the opening offer anchors the entire price conversation. Do you want to set the anchor, or allow the other party to set the anchor? You should make a conscience choice. By setting the anchor, you are...
Have you ever wanted to say no to some unreasonable request, whether from a client, vendor, boss, or co-worker, but said yes just to keep the peace? If you are like most of us, we are taught that saying no can be a bad thing. But what about those times when you have...
In the first paragraph of the Wall Street Journal article How Blackstone’s Chief Became $7 Billion Man, June 13, 2007, Schwarzman, the CEO and mastermind behind many leveraged buyouts, touted his deal making prowess. “[H]e [Schwarzman] wants to ‘inflict pain’ and...
