Negotiations Ninja Podcast

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are all countries that speak German. And though they speak the same language, each has a unique culture and negotiating style. The way they approach communication, formalities, aggressiveness, etc., varies significantly. Mihai Isman is an International Negotiator & Conflict Resolution Expert from Germany. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, he compares and cont...

Negotiating via email, text, social media, Zoom, or any other virtual way of communication is tricky, at best. A written conversation doesn't allow for reading body language, tone of voice, etc. So when you can't pick up the phone or meet in person, are you doomed to fail? Or do you just need to master a different skillset? Giuseppe Conti shares the dos and don'ts of negotiating via written commun...

Why do customers decide not to do something? How can you overcome customer indecision? How do you move someone past "maybe" and "I'll think about it" to saying "no," or—even better—saying "yes?"  Matt Dixon and his team studied 2.5 million recorded sales conversations. They found that 40–60% of all opportunities are lost to  no decision . And these are opportunities where the customer goes through...

Cyberterrorism is becoming prevalent. Highly intelligent criminals associated with cartels and sovereign nations like North Korea, China, Russia, etc. are mining for any data they can find. State actors take data and leverage it however they please, without conscience. That's why cyberterrorism negotiation is becoming part of the negotiation conversation. Everyday businesses and even healthcare or...

You're a small organization about to enter a negotiation with a large company. You're prepared to go in and sign the contract because simply doing business with them could be astronomical for your company. But just because you're a small company doesn't mean you can't negotiate with Goliaths. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Christine McKay shares how you can strategically use contracts to n...

Influence is powerful. But how do you become influential? It seems like a far more difficult task, right? Sean Callagy—a successful attorney, speaker, entrepreneur, business coach, and the owner and President of Callagy Law—has mastered the art of influence.  Sean has developed a four-step formula to master ethical influence. In this throwback episode of Negotiations Ninja, Sean drives home the id...

Humans are primarily emotional. We bring fears into our negotiations. If we push too hard, we might get nothing. If we antagonize the other party, they might retaliate. We also worry about damaging relationships. The whole negotiation process is emotional. And when you get emotional, your ability to do what you know you should do decreases. Two years ago, Moshe Cohen published " Collywobbles: How...

Michael van Keulen (MVK) has worked in procurement and finance for over 20 years. Over those years he's seen companies resist digital transformation. The key to a digital transformation is getting the internal stakeholders on board. To do that, procurement leaders have to step up and oftentimes put their jobs on the line. How do they avoid losing their jobs while pushing their companies toward dig...

When people think of negotiation—especially in Western cultures—they often think in finite terms. In a finite game, the rules are fixed until there's a winner. In an infinite game, the rules change during play. It's done so to bring as many people as possible into the play. The purpose of the infinite game is that things aren't just about transactions or deals but revolve around a higher purpose....

Why does the limitation of liability clause exist? How does it work? Is there a way you can simplify the process of building it out in the negotiation? Contract and negotiation expert Jeanette Nyden shares her extensive knowledge of limitation of liability clauses in this throwback episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast!

George Siedel—a Professor at the University of Michigan—wrote a great book called, "Negotiating for Success: Essential Strategies and Skills," in which he shares the importance of planning. He believes so strongly in planning that he gives away numerous negotiation planning tools for free.   In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, we cover planning in negotiation, the 4th and 5th key numbers for fi...

Jean-Nicolas Reyt—a negotiation professor at McGill University—teaches his students a simple and practical way to negotiate: Ask and you'll receive. If you don't ask, you won't get what you want. But why do so many students struggle to ask? Why do they decide they're satisfied with a subpar deal? Jean-Nicolas dissects the phenomenon of compliance in this throwback episode of Negotiations Ninja.

What does it cost people and organizations not to listen? Are you solving the wrong problems? Or worse, are you losing relationships, customers, and potential opportunities? The cost of not listening could cripple you and your organization. Christine Miles joins me in this episode of Negotiations Ninja to address that very problem.  Christine Miles is the founder and CEO of  EQuipt , a "Training a...

Why do young people hesitate to negotiate? They need to be able to advocate for themselves, yet many hesitate to speak up. Jean-Nicolas Reyt, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at McGill University, is passionate about helping students become assertive. He teaches that the end result of negotiating is almost always better than not trying. Jean-Nicolas is chock full of advice that ev...

How important is relationship-building in negotiations? Can you have a relationship yet still be direct without negatively impacting said relationship? Romina Muhametaj—A Sales Manager and Consultant—believes that relationship-building is the key to moving one's career forward and closing more sales. She shares why in this episode of Negotiations Ninja!  Outline of This Episode [1:35] Learn more a...

When you approach a negotiation, you need to be ready, relatable, and reasonable. You have to be ready—do your research so that nothing surprises you. People help people they like, so it helps if you're relatable. Lastly, you need to focus on finding solutions and be reasonable. Lynn Price believes that if you focus on being ready, relatable, and reasonable, you'll see far more successful negotiat...

Matthew Pollard wrote "The Introvert's Edge" to help the average introvert learn that their path to success will look different than an extrovert's. Systems and processes will allow introverts to succeed, excel, and dominate their market. Introverts can only do so well "winging it." In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Matthew shares that when you focus on methodology and consistency, you end up...

Did you know that 1% of the population could be diagnosed as a narcissist? We've all likely interacted with someone who we'd classify as a narcissist. But what do you do when you're forced to negotiate with a narcissist? Should you change your negotiation strategy? According to Rebecca Zung—one of the Top 1% of attorneys in the nation—the answer is a resounding yes. She shares how to navigate nego...

Nikki Rausch "The Sales Maven" teaches salespeople how to have more effective sales conversations while maintaining rapport and keeping the relationship intact. She also teaches how to overcome the fear of rejection by fundamentally changing the way you view sales: It's something you do  with  someone, not  to  them. Learn how to shift your mindset to overcome fear in this episode of Negotiations...

How do you get what you want in a negotiation? How do you be more persuasive? Simon Rycraft wrote " Negotiation Hacks: Expert Tactics To Get What You Want ," to lay out the strategies, skills, and approaches needed to get what you want. In this throwback episode of Negotiations Ninja, Simon covers some of the tactics he lays out in his book and how to make them work for you. Check it out!

How do you combat fear with courage? How does your ego build walls in negotiations? And why, when you're in a negotiation, should you only say something  if you believe it ? Mala Subramaniam—an Executive Coach, Author, and Speaker—has taught thousands of people the art of communication in negotiation. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Mala shares the #1 way you can combat fear in negotiation....

Joe Valley is a serial entrepreneur and partner at Quiet Light Brokerage. He's also an expert at building sellable companies. He's also learned the secret to winning more deals:  Don't be an a–hole . The people who win more deals do their research, carry intelligent conversations, and are polite, professional, and likable. Why are these qualities so important? Joe Valley covers the topic in detail...

Jack Shafer spent much of his career in counterintelligence in the FBI. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, we'll discuss topics from Jack's newest book, " The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth " We talk about the concept of elicitation, presumptive statements, how to shift power dynamics in the conversation—and how to use it them in business negotia...

Do you excel when you're negotiating for your company but struggle to negotiate successfully for yourself? Is it because you lack clarity on exactly what you're negotiating for? Or do you feel too emotionally involved to think clearly?  You have to be able to communicate your value and articulate why you deserve what you're asking for. Deborah Kolb—an expert in negotiation, leadership, and gender...

How do you use a contract to drive negotiations forward? How can redlines help you save time? What is the importance of internal alignment to contract negotiation? I had an incredible discussion with Nada Alnajafi about contract redlining etiquette in this episode of Negotiations Ninja.  Nada has been practicing law for over 12 years and is currently corporate counsel for Franklin Templeton. Nada...