Author Archives: Ken Trent
Mutual Value Is Not Compromise
Mutual value is not splitting the difference. It is finding the deal structure where each [...]
Strategic Validation Turns Complaints Into a Workable Plan
Strategic Validation helps you acknowledge a counterpart's concern fully, lower defensiveness, and redirect the negotiation [...]
Active Listening Is a Negotiation Tool
Active listening is not soft etiquette. It is a practical way to lower resistance, confirm [...]
Contribution Profit: The Deal’s Soft Bottom Line
Contribution profit shows what a deal actually contributes after direct costs, so you can negotiate [...]
Build Leverage Before You Need It
Leverage is not just what you have at the table. It is what you build [...]
Precision Makes Your Ask Credible
A precise ask tells your counterpart you did the math. Use specific numbers when you [...]
Use Silence After a Significant Move
Silence is not dead air. Used after an anchor, ask, or difficult term, it gives [...]
Selective Transparency: Be Clear Without Exposing Your Constraints
Selective transparency helps you build trust by clarifying your needs while protecting the constraints that [...]
Calculate the Deal in Profit Dollars
A negotiation outcome is only as good as the profit dollars it creates. Run the [...]
Invite No Before You Chase Yes
Invite a clean no to reduce pressure, uncover the real objection, and move the negotiation [...]