Author Archives: Ken Trent
Is That Demand as Big as It Sounds?
A stacked demand often hides a narrower problem. Split the ask into pieces and negotiate [...]
Are You Protecting Margin or Protecting Profit?
A held margin can still lose money. Score every trade by absolute profit dollars, not [...]
What Does the Benchmark Say About That Term?
Benchmarking replaces a complaint with a real standard. Put the number next to a fair [...]
What Is the Fifth Why Actually Solving?
A fill-rate drop is a symptom. The 5 Whys moves the conversation from the visible [...]
Where Should You Open So the Middle Hits the Target?
Bracketing sets the opening far enough from the target that a fair midpoint still lands [...]
Four Resources Every Negotiation Spends
Time, energy, money, and emotional investment are all spent at the table. Check all four [...]
Name the Feeling Before You Answer
Emotion management keeps a sharp comment from choosing your next concession. Name the feeling, widen [...]
What Leverage Can You Actually Change?
Structural leverage is the hand you are dealt. Situational leverage is what you can still [...]
Whose Deadline Are You Racing?
A deadline is often one side's constraint, not a shared fact. Name who owns the [...]
What Does the Deal Do to Contribution Profit?
Contribution profit dollars show what a product or relationship contributes after direct costs, and that [...]