Negotiations Ninja Podcast

Sales and procurement view each other as enemies—but don’t work to change that mindset. Both sides feel that the other doesn’t understand what they do and they have no empathy for each other. My guest today agrees that this needs to change. Sales and procurement need to start having real and genuine conversations.  In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, John Barrows joins me to start the conversation. Listen along as we chat about preparing for an impending market correction, the animosity between procurement and sales, and how to facilitate open dialogue between the two.  John has been in sales his entire career. He was VP of Sales & Marketing with Thrive Networks and Director of Sales & Training with Basho Technologies. Seven years ago, he launched JBarrows Sales Training. He’s passionate about providing customized training using proven sales techniques to help salespeople drive results.  Outline of This Episode [1:53] John Barrows jumps back on the podcast [2:43] John’s background and business [4:

What is a Sales Development Representative? with Morgan J Ingram, Ep #125  If you’re in the world of procurement, a Sales Development Representative (SDR) is an often misunderstood and foreign role. What is an SDR (Or BDR or AE)? What do they do? How does their role impact or affect procurement? My friend, Morgan J Ingram, joins me in this episode of Negotiations Ninja to help us understand the role of an SDR—and why they’re not the enemy.  Morgan is currently the Director of Sales Execution and Evolution at John Barrows. His initial dream was to be in sports management—but after graduating college, he realized he’d have to continue his education and get a law degree. On top of that, the odds of him making it were between 1-3%. He pivoted, reached out to a local startup, and ended up being hired as a SDR.  Listen to this episode as he shares about his struggle as an SDR and how he broke through and found success. He shares insight into the sales side of the spectrum, his 11-touch campaign strategy, and how to

Mastering sales negotiation skills can mean the difference between landing a client or losing a client. It is a subtle push, an understanding of the client that differentiates you and your product or service from everyone else. Closing a sale used to mean sitting in a boardroom until a deal was accomplished. Now, sales professionals are forced to be more creative. We no longer live in a world of black-and-white and each potential client wants a unique deal catered to them. My guest today, Kim Orlesky, knows the tactics and sales negotiation skills it takes to close deals while also building career-long relationships with clients. She was in corporate sales for over 10 years and is now the President of KO Advantage Group, selling high-value services in a B2B environment. Join us in this episode to learn negotiation skills and tactics from the unique perspective of a sales expert. Outline of This Episode [0:33] Negotiation from a sales perspective with Kim Orlesky [4:24] Learn to go the extra mile and understa

Negotiating across cultures adds a level of complexity to the negotiations process that many people don’t take seriously enough. There will inevitably be beliefs, mindsets, concepts, and even seemingly simple words and phrases that are understood differently, making this type of negotiation difficult at best. The opportunity to learn from those who are in the trenches of international negotiation regularly is priceless, especially when the subject of our study is someone who consistently does this kind of negotiation well. My guest on this episode is one of those people, International negotiator and trainer Mihai Isman. He is a negotiation and conflict resolution expert who specializes in addressing difficult but important efficiency barriers for national and international corporations and medium-sized companies. His keen insight into the differences between Western and European negotiators, their cultures, and consequently their approaches is something all of us can learn from. Be sure you listen carefully..

Every negotiator must continually be developing negotiation skills that bring about good results for their clients, internal or external. My guest on this episode is Mohammed Faridy, a man who has great insight into the subject because he put himself on a trajectory toward constant improvement from his early days as a negotiator. It was working at Citibank that he found two excellent negotiation mentors who helped him get his bearings and hone his skills in IT contract negotiations. Today, Mohammed provides negotiations consulting and training and serves as CEO of OneView, a technology procurement software as a service. That role puts him on the other side of the procurement negotiations table, which makes his dual-perspective rare and valuable, so be sure you listen. Outline of This Episode [0:34] Mohammed’s unique perspective from both sides of the procurement role [6:57] What most procurement professionals do well in negotiations [16:18] The best ways to improve negotiations skills [22:35] One piece of ad

The 2020 negotiations with China, prompted by tariffs levied by the United States, is a public demonstration from which all of us can learn. Both parties have distinct approaches to negotiation that inform how they have positioned themselves and neither party wants to lose face on the world stage. It’s not only a clash of world powers who have very different goals, in many ways, it is a clash of cultures as well. My guest on this episode is Allan Tsang, a man who is uniquely qualified to comment on what’s happening in this International trade negotiation. Allan is a Chinese-American who was born in China, raised in Ghana (Africa), and moved to the U.S. around 1990. His career path took him from design, to instructional technology, to conflict analysis and resolution. He’s been doing high-level consulting for large organizations, entrepreneurs, and startups in the areas of strategy and negotiation since the mid-90s. Join us for this fascinating conversation that reveals the importance of a long-view strategy i

Terrorists are one of the most violent and unpredictable groups in the world, and nobody can speak to the devastating consequences of failed negotiations with them better than Cal Chrustie. Likewise, there’s no one better to teach us how to make the most out of those failures.  Cal served for 34 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and has also served as a Negotiations Mediator for the United Nations in the former country of Yugoslavia. He’s been involved in some of the highest stakes negotiation scenarios you can imagine. On this episode, he shares the most valuable lessons he learned from the most painful failed negotiation he’s ever experienced - one involving a terrorist group and the execution of hostages.  Outline of This Episode [2:12] Getting to know Cal Chrustie, negotiator extraordinaire  [4:01] The worst negotiation experience Cal has ever had [15:39] How to better assess the readiness of negotiation partners [23:55] The importance and power of a debrief [28:49] A negotiation Cal was engag

My guest on this episode learned effective negotiation in the trenches, working as a hostage and crisis negotiator. But don’t let the fact that his negotiations often happened in life and death situations convince you that his experience is worlds apart from whatever it is that you do. It’s not. What he learned in that high-pressure environment transfers across the board to every discipline. You can apply the principles to procurement, sales, and a variety of other business applications - not to mention your personal relationships.. Dan Oblinger is a hostage negotiator, author, international keynote speaker, and fuel behind the Leadercraft brand of workshops and training. He graduated from the FBI National Crisis Negotiator Course in 2018 and teaches frequently on the topics of active listening, negotiations, ethics, leadership, culture, and crisis management. The stories he shares in this episode illustrate that the power behind successful negotiations is not in the words you use, but in the words you don’t

Negotiation Lessons From The Field, with Gary Noesner, Ep #119 Many times the hardest negotiation lessons to learn are hard because they are painful. Those learned in real-life failed negotiations can be among the most valuable. The Waco Siege of 1993 stands out as one of the most tragic and mishandled negotiations in American history. Many observations have been made about what happened there, but the FBI hostage negotiators who were on the scene are the ones who know best what went wrong—and why.. Gary Noesner was the lead negotiator at that event He retired from the FBI after 30 years as an investigator, with 23 of those years being in the role of a negotiator. He retired as the Chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, Critical Incident Response Group and was the first person to hold that position. As the lead negotiator at the Waco Siege, Gary shares openly about what contributed to the regrettable and terrible outcome experienced there. The negotiation lessons you’ll receive from this conversation are

Negotiation is one of the most overlooked things in the lives of entrepreneurs. There are many reasons for this, which we’ll get into in this episode, but suffice it to say that when entrepreneurs don’t learn how to negotiate well, lots of money is left on the table. To discuss this issue I asked my business coach, Marty Park to give us an overview of the issue. Marty has built businesses from the ground up for years— 14 companies over two decades. He’s able to speak to this issue from experiential and observational standpoints. He’s fought to scale, grow, and even sell businesses like any entrepreneur and has learned the power of negotiation for increasing profitability. He regularly advises business coaching clients in these issues as well. Outline of This Episode [0:40] Marty Park: Entrepreneur and Business Coach (my business coach) [6:40] The things entrepreneurs overlook when it comes to negotiation [13:14] A negotiation Marty experienced that didn’t go well [24:53] Marty’s absolute favorite negotiatio

2019 was brimming with excitement at Negotiations Ninja. Fantastic discussions on the podcast, exciting content on the blog, and exceptional experiences training and coaching have made it a big year. We’re looking forward to integrating everything we’ve learned through these incredible experiences and moving forward into 2020.

The end of each year brings an opportunity to reflect on our achievements before beginning new adventures. 2019 has been amazing: The Negotiations Ninja podcast made the number one negotiation podcast in the world. First-rate guests have been essential to the podcast’s success.

Business negotiation, whether carried out by small, medium, or large business personnel, is a skill that must be developed. But small and medium business approaches to negotiation need to be better informed if they are to succeed when competing against the larger companies. My guest on this episode, James Orsini, brings a wealth of insight to us through his experience as an agency leader and from teaching small and medium business leaders how to be more successful, not only in negotiations but in business in general. Outline of This Episode [2:37] James’ experience prior to joining Gary Vaynerchuck [4:01] The best advice James can give regarding improving negotiations [4:53] Mistakes small and medium-sized business owners often get wrong in negotiation [11:49] The struggle with “giving away your best stuff” - and what really happens [16:28] Things James wishes people would do differently in their negotiations [18:50] The best piece of advice about negotiation Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Jab, Jab

One of the most plentiful commodities available to anyone who wants to learn is the wisdom of others in our field. As negotiators, we need to avail ourselves of this amazing resource every chance we get. This episode is filled with pearls of negotiation wisdom from my friend, the one and only Marty Latz. You’re going to hear Marty’s personal and career negotiating successes as well as some situations that didn’t go well. He has some fantastic insights into the key skills every negotiator needs to master, the things people miss in personal and professional negotiations most often, and why preparation (in a variety of ways) is so vital to a successful outcome. Marty shares principles of negotiation wisdom you’ll want to remember, so take notes on this one. Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Getting To Yes BOOK: Bargaining For Advantage Get a Free Ticket to the Spark Event in February at: Website: ScoutRFP Ticket Code: ninja2020 Connect with Marty Latz Marty’s website: https://latznegotiation.com/ Follo

Nobody would assume that crisis negotiation is easy, but few of us truly know just how hard it is. My guest on this episode, Mark Lowther, is one of those who know the reality first-hand. Mark’s diverse catalog of experiences ranges from serving in the United States Marines to two Metro SWAT teams where he was involved in and all levels of negotiations, including the first known hostage negotiations involving social media. Mark has extensive background and training in suicide intervention and on this episode, you’ll hear him describe the most difficult and disappointing negotiation of his career which involved a young woman who was committed to taking her own life. Join us for this conversation to see the true face of crisis negotiation. Outline of This Episode [3:12] Mark’s experience in hostage and crisis negotiation throughout the U.S. and worldwide [3:45] The best negotiation of Mark’s illustrious career [12:20] The reasons and roles of a variety of diverse team members [14:45] The worst negotiations of

For procurement and other contract-related roles, there has never been any kind of contract playbook that new people to the profession can look to for guidance. The wait is over. This episode of Negotiations Ninja features co-authors Jeanette Nyden and Lawrence Kane who have quite literally just written the book on the subject. “The Contract Professional’s Playbook” is now available on Amazon and sets the standard for developing procurement talent, building those individuals into personnel assets who add great value to the organization, and set up the industry to continue growing well into the future. Enjoy! Outline of This Episode [2:14] Why a playbook is needed for procurement and the story behind the book [4:56] Changes happening in the contract and procurement world the book is aimed at [8:35] The content found inside the playbook: including internal and external negotiation [11:25] Performance & outcome-based approach to fit a collaborative negotiation model [15:01] Navigating when to be tough and w

Negotiation has been happening since the beginning of time and every one of us negotiates with others all day, every day. Those who are masters at negotiation have learned from all those years of experience, they apply the old school techniques to their current situation. Ed Brodow, the guest on this episode, has been negotiating and teaching negotiation skills for over 32 years. His old school approach to negotiation is refreshing and powerful. He’s authored a number of books that are “must-have” resources. Listen to this episode to hear Ed’s powerful but simple approach to becoming the best negotiator you can be. Outline of This Episode   [0:36] Why Ed Brodow is on the show to talk about walking away from a deal [1:39] Ed’s experience in negotiating and education over a 32-year career [4:05] The reason optimism has to be at the forefront of every negotiation [9:06] What is the confidence mystique and why is it important? [19:01] How to use the “Columbo” method in negotiations [23:27] Traits of successful n

Wouldn’t it be great if you could receive a personal guide to negotiation from an experienced, wise negotiator who is proven to be successful? That’s what you'll get when you listen to this episode.  David Meltzer is a philosopher, business coach, entrepreneur, and so much more, including an amazing negotiator. He grew up poor and thought money would bring him happiness, so he pursued sports (he wanted to be a pro football player), then becoming a doctor, then a legal career. When he passed the bar exam he had an opportunity to create a legal advice service online, which is how he became a millionaire. His business career has only excelled from there. Join us for this conversation as David shares lessons from his journey that can serve you as a sort of guide to negotiation. Outline of This Episode [0:42] The business coach and philosopher who is David Meltzer [5:30] David’s secret to negotiating: an abundance mindset [7:26] Is it possible to serve others in a negotiation? [9:29] How do we get over ourselves

As we are all aware, every conversation, not to mention every negotiation, has much more going on under the surface than is easily seen by observers. Detecting deception, both manipulative and unconscious is part of what makes great negotiators outstanding. Dr. David Matsumoto specializes in understanding facial expression and trains negotiators, sales professionals, and leaders of all stripes how to notice and respond to the barely visible signals that often reveal what’s going on under the surface. Listen to this conversation. It’s fascinating to realize that all of us can become skilled at this nuanced but powerfully effective form of observation. Outline of This Episode [0:35] Dr. David Matsumoto is a jewel and we’re honored to have him on the show [2:15] The amazing career and research of Dr. Matsumoto [5:05] Facial expressions: an overview of the less-obvious and what may be meant [8:05] How can we differentiate meaningful facial expressions from non-meaningful ones [11:57] Is the brain communicating i

One of the reasons I’m happy to have someone like Stephen Kozicki on the podcast is because he brings an entirely different perspective to the process of negotiation through his approach to creating and discovering value. Stephen takes a very data-based, provable approach that serves incredibly well because it removes egos from the process and demonstrates tangible outcomes that offers of lower price alone cannot overcome. Listen to hear Stephen’s detailed approach to working out, creating, and discovering value in negotiations. Outline of This Episode [0:43] The fascinating history of Stephen’s negotiation experience [3:37] Discovering new value in negotiations that you don’t know exist [5:15] Why is it important to demonstrate value tangibly? [7:20] The reason measurable value is incredibly important [10:55] How to discover additional value available in a negotiation [12:30] 4 elements of value creation [17:15] How to think about false beliefs surrounding value [20:23] The vital importance of discovery ses