Planning a negotiation doesn't have to take weeks. Or 25+ pages of strategy.
It can be boiled down to 3 key questions. Questions that will get you out of 'flying by the seat of your pants-mode' and into cool, calm and collected strategic negotiator-mode.
Read on to discover these 3 questions, and download your free negotiation planner.
Read MoreYou hang up the phone with a keen client and your hands are shaking. This is the biggest piece of work you've ever been offered.
You check your emails and see the subject line: Re: Your book deal. And your stomach flips.
You get your networking game face on and head to the top conference in your industry...where they promptly ask you to speak at next year's event.
These are exiting moments for any Ambitious Entrepreneur. And they're the 'Oh $@*^!' moments you need to learn how to handle with ease. Read on for how to close your biggest, best deal yet.
Read MoreThere’s something I hear in business that sends shivers up my spine. I get a bit queasy. I have the urge to lunge through my computer screen, or across the row of tables at the café and shake people by the shoulders to snap them out of it.
What is it? What could incite such a reaction in a normally cool, calm and collected gal like me?
“I don’t need a contract.”
Yes. Yes you do. And here’s why…
Read MoreFocus is good. Focus is great. Focus gets us where we need to be…most of the time.
But it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, and lose perspective in our businesses. Creativity dwindles, opportunities pass us by, and we’re working so very hard…but not seeing the kind of results we’re looking for.
Snap out of it by ditching the tunnel vision and getting some new perspective – here’s how…
Read MoreOoooooeeeeee! The end of the year is fast approaching. Scratch that. It’s here!
And all of those plans we had to improve our business this year – the new deals, the ideal clients, the solid systems – this is crunch time for executing on those.
Sometimes, coming up against a deadline – even if self-imposed – can make us play a bit fast and loose when it comes to the quality we’re delivering, especially when it comes to a negotiation.
Picture it: You’re in the thick of a discussion with a potential new client, and all that stands between you and the achievement of your annual targets is to give in on a teensy tiny, itty bitty element of the agreement. Except – normally, you’d never agree to it. And yet, in the rush to close off, you have.
Read on for tips on how to avoid settling for a less-than-stunning result, even when the heat is on.
Read MoreIn our ideal world, business deals would always be wins. Every client we contact leaps at the opportunity to work with us (at full asking price!), each vendor we get a quote from comes in under target (and throws in a few bonuses!), and every agreement moves swimmingly from hello to handshake.
But in reality, our businesses aren't quite such smooth sailing. Despite best efforts and investing all sorts of energy we can end up stuck in discussions that aren't going anywhere. And then what? Do we keep trying? Settle for whatever deal we can cobble together? Or do we walk away - and live to negotiate another day.
We'll be taking a look at how to make that decision - how do you know when it's time to walk away from a negotiation? Read on to find out...
Read MoreCan I negotiate this? Should I negotiate this? Have I pushed too far? Or not far enough…?
The answer to each of these is a phenomenally frustrating “It depends”.
It can be difficult to decipher exactly when you should be asking for a change to an agreement, or a better price, or even a different method of engagement with a client or a vendor. Here, I’ve pulled together some guidelines on how to tell if you should pursue a negotiation…or back off. Read on to find your path forward.
Read MoreDollars, Euros, Yen, Pesos, Pounds...as an entrepreneur or small business owner it can be hard to think of anything as important to our businesses as the money. What do we want more of? Money. What do we want to spend less of? Money. But what about running our businesses, and negotiating with our clients and partners so that we have more of other things.
More time. More energy. More flexibility.
There are many elements at play in a negotiation, and taking stock of where the value is for you and your business is key in achieving your best yet results. Here, you'll learn the key questions to ask in order to uncover potential value.
Read MoreBinding agreements. Our contracts outline what our responsibilities are, how they’re to be performed, when, by whom and – the highlight – how much it’s going to cost. Entering into a business relationship without a contract can be risky. But so can signing one if it doesn’t have all the right ingredients to protect us.
One of the biggest questions to ask yourself before signing a contract is “What if…?”
The clauses that help cover you in these instances are what I like to call the escape clauses. The ones that let you re-open a negotiation to change terms that no longer work for you, and the ones that give you an opportunity to say goodbye.
Let’s look at how these clauses can come into play for your contracts.
Read MoreIn your business, you’re a dynamo. Knocking items off the to-do list like a champ. Building connections. Delivering amazing service to your clients and making sure all of your customers are beyond happy when they receive your product.
But all of that can be brought to a standstill when something goes wrong with a contract.
A lot of contracts – with clients, vendors, partners – contain a whole lot of legal jargon. This legalese can be confusing, and if you’re not familiar with the terminology you can find yourself in trouble, fast.
Having clear contracts that support the priorities, requirements and desires of both you and your negotiation counterpart is essential and the easiest way to get those in place? Use plain ol’ English.
Here’s why you should make the switch from legalese to something that reads with ease…and my tips for how to make it happen.
Read MoreBusiness is all about creating personal connections. Whether it’s meeting face-to-face at networking events, following each other on Twitter or sharing your experiences in a mastermind or workshop – it’s all about connections.
As an entrepreneur or indie business owner, you’re also likely connecting with people that share similar outlooks on business and life – these are folks that just ‘get it’.
Doing business with a friend can be an opportunity to help each other out or to collaborate on an exciting project. Your work together may feel more like a passion project than real business. Which is why breaking up the fun with a – gulp – negotiation may be something you try to avoid.
But you don’t have to.
Negotiation and friendships can (and should!) co-exist, and having one in your life doesn’t have to mean rejecting the other. It won’t always be easy – but here are my top 4 tips for how you can make this work. You can have your friendships and your great business deals too.
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