Author Archives: Ken Trent
Contribution Profit: The Number Behind the Deal
Revenue can make a deal look attractive. Contribution profit shows whether the deal actually improves [...]
Feigned Surprise Clears Out Soft Positions
Feigned surprise is a simple negotiation tactic: react calmly to an aggressive number, then let [...]
Secondary Asks Keep Value on the Table
Secondary asks give you tradeable value when the headline ask changes. Prepare them before the [...]
Use Ranges Without Anchoring Against Yourself
Ranges can preserve flexibility in negotiation, but only if the low end still protects your [...]
Selective Transparency: Be Clear Without Giving Away Your Leverage
Selective transparency helps negotiators share enough to solve the business problem without giving away deadlines, [...]
Use Labeling to Put the Real Concern on the Table
When a negotiation stalls, labeling helps you name the likely concern without accusing your counterpart [...]
Leverage Moves During the Negotiation
Leverage is not fixed. It shifts as timing, pressure, alternatives, and information change. Here is [...]
Use Loss Aversion to Protect the Trade
Loss aversion can stall a good deal when one side feels they are giving something [...]
Use Higher Authority Without Losing the Deal
Higher authority can protect you from rushed commitments, but only if you introduce it early, [...]
Policy Is a Starting Point, Not a Wall
When someone says something is against policy, the useful move is not arguing with the [...]