Tag Archives: negotiating

What Happened to the “Power Lunch?”

Remember not so long ago when it seemed endless business and career articles talked about how much important work could get done over the “power lunch.” Instead of long, drawn-out meetings, we were encouraged to use every spare moment and that meant our lunch hour to organize and take advantage of the “power lunch” to make pitches, negotiate sales and network. It has been a while since I have heard anyone talk about the “power lunch” and I know more people with home businesses who use lunch time to run to the grocery store or pick kids up from childcare … Continue reading →

Know What You Are Willing to Give Up in Negotiations

You may know that when you enter into a negotiation—whether for a contract, a customer sale, or some other reason—you need to know what it is you are hoping to get. You do need to know the reason for the negotiation and have in mind what you would like to come away with. BUT, you also need to know what you are willing to give up. The more prepared you are in advance; the more likely you are to come away with a satisfactory result. Next to good communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal), I think that knowing what you … Continue reading →

Negotiating? Do Your Homework

Negotiating is not one of my favorite parts of working independently and having my own business. As a matter of fact, I never really thought of myself as someone who did all that well with contracts, bookkeeping, accounting and the “hardball” part of business. BUT, since I am a one-gal shop, negotiating contracts and payments is one of the things I have to learn and get better at. The one thing I do know is that the more prepared I am, the more confident I feel and the more successful I am likely to be at the negotiating part. So, … Continue reading →

Simplifying Business Communication

It can be tempting to try to enhance your business’ image by using fancy phrases and big words. BUT, the reality is, if you choose superfluous language when you could say something very simply—you will likely not only turn off customers and prospects, but you might also make communication cloudy. Business communication should be simple, complete, and direct. We think we need to use big, official-sounding phrases like “pertaining to” instead of “about” or “regarding” and “at which time” instead of “when”—this might make us sound like we’ve been educated, but it won’t make it any easier for our customers … Continue reading →

Tips for Getting a Sales Price

The week before Christmas I went to the grocery store looking for a sale on some Christmas items. They had kept moving some of the perishables, and I couldn’t find the chestnuts or the special Panettone bread we buy each year – but I knew they had them somewhere! So I asked a clerk where the items had been moved to, and then I asked about Christmas items going on sale. They got the manager and put the items on sale right then – on the spot – just for me! Of course this won’t always work, but asking for … Continue reading →