Why Smaller Businesses Often Feel Disadvantaged Negotiating with a larger customer, supplier, distributor, investor, landlord, or institutional partner can feel intimidating. The larger party may have formal procurement procedures, standard contracts, preferred pricing expectations, legal review, payment policies, and more experience negotiating similar agreements. A small business owner may...
Why Scope Creep Starts Before the Work Expands Scope creep rarely begins with a major demand. It usually starts with something that sounds reasonable: one more round of revisions, a small additional deliverable, an extra meeting, a faster turnaround, a minor feature, a different approval process, or a request...
Small Businesses Often Lose Value Gradually Most small business owners understand the importance of winning customers, keeping cash moving, and maintaining strong relationships. That pressure can make negotiation feel risky. When a customer asks for a better price, a vendor pushes for faster payment, or a partner requests more...
Why Value Protection and Relationships Often Feel in Conflict Many leaders want to be both commercially disciplined and relationship-aware. They want stronger agreements, better margins, clearer terms, and realistic commitments. At the same time, they do not want to seem rigid, aggressive, or difficult to work with. This is...
It’s regrettable that the legal profession is held in such disrepute. Newspapers are full of stories about lawyers who abuse their clients and charge unconscionable fees. It is no surprise that so many people wonder if the legal system and its army of lawyers are out of control....
Why Deadlines Matter in Negotiation Deadlines matter because they change how people think. As the clock runs down, the pressure to decide often becomes stronger than the pressure to decide well. That shift can be dangerous. A party that felt patient and analytical at the start of a negotiation...
Why Small Negotiation Mistakes Lead to Bigger Losses The good news is that these mistakes can be corrected. As Dr. Chester L. Karrass taught, negotiation is not an inborn talent reserved for a few naturally persuasive people. It is a process that can be learned, practiced, and improved. Once...
Negotiating is a critical aspect of business that cannot be ignored. Knowing “What is negotiation?” is crucial to your advancement regardless of where you fit on the totem pole. The art of negotiation requires delving into the negotiation definition and determining a strategy to confront every scenario. Unfortunately, the...
What Does Good Cop Bad Cop Mean? At its core, good cop bad cop means two people on the same side play different roles to influence the other party. One becomes the source of discomfort. The other becomes the source of relief. The goal is to make the other...
Every great negotiator must know how to resolve conflict because almost every negotiation in business, as in life, is just one stage in a longer-term relationship. Not only can great conflict resolution strategies help you to avoid weakening a good relationship, they can transform a pretty decent partnership into...
What Is the Difference Between Argument and Negotiation? The difference between argument and negotiation starts with purpose. In an argument, one side usually believes there is one correct answer and wants the other side to accept it. The energy of the conversation goes toward proving, defending, rebutting, and rejecting....
Why Price Increases Are a Leadership Issue, Not Just a Sourcing Issue Most organizations treat a supplier’s price increase notice as a tactical fire drill. Procurement gets an email, Finance demands a quick fix, and the business wants “same price, same service.” That’s how costs creep in quietly. Procurement leadership...
Why SLA Negotiation Is Different From Price Negotiation Price is visible and immediate. Service performance is delayed and cumulative. A small ambiguity in how you define availability, response time, or exclusions can turn into months of friction—and expensive workarounds. Procurement leaders succeed when they treat SLAs as an operating system: A...
Have questions or need assistance? Reach out to our team