Negotiations Ninja Podcast

Everyone strives to be unbiased, right? But the truth is that we all carry inherent biases. Those biases influence everything from our body language to the questions that we ask. While we can unlearn or completely remove those inherent biases, we can learn how to overcome the impact they make on our negotiations. In this throwback episode, Dan Lappin shares the most common biases people have to overcome—and how to do it. Check it out!

Jack Barsky—born Albrecht Dittrich—was a sleeper agent for the KGB, operating in the United States from 1978 to 1988. He was exposed after the Cold War, after which he became a resource for US counterintelligence agencies who allowed him to remain in the United States. What was life like as a sleeper agent? How did Jack employ persuasion and influence to gather intel for the KGB? What ultimately led him to part ways with the Soviet Union? Jack shares his fascinating life story with me in this episode of Negotiations Ninja. Do NOT miss it. Outline of This Episode [1:47] The life of sleeper agent Jack Barsky [4:46] How Jack was persuaded to become a sleeper agent [6:55] The training Jack received from the KGB [10:33] The process of assimilation  [14:53] Jack’s first mission in the US [16:55] The one time Jack thought he had been discovered [23:19] How Jack ended up cooperating with the FBI [27:43] Switching loyalty from the Soviets to the United States [31:21] Jack Barsky’s take on Vladimir Putin [36:34] How t

Who run the world? Women who negotiate. In this Negotiations Ninja throwback, Jacqueline Twillie shares why more women need to negotiate. She points out that women are inherently skilled at negotiation but too many don’t embrace their innate abilities. She’s made it her life’s mission to help women negotiate confidently so they don’t leave anything on the table. If you’re looking to build a foundation for your negotiation skills, she teaches her LATTE framework in this episode. Don’t miss it! 

Brian Ahearn’s first book, “Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical,” is a heavy psychology and business book. Brian points out that a lot of people won’t pick up a sales book, like his second book, “Persuasive Selling.” So he decided to try his hand at writing a business parable, “The Influencer.” He wanted to teach people the same principles of influence but do so from an entirely different angle to reach a whole new audience.  Brian spent 30+ years in the insurance industry. He began to study the work of Robert Cialdini, the “Grandfather of Influence.” He connected with Robert in the early 2000s and was certified to teach his methodology. Three years ago, Brian left his corporate position to coach, train, and consult on the science of influence full-time.

In this special episode of Negotiations Ninja, we look back at an episode with Marty Park where we talked about navigating the Covid-19 crisis. As we’re seemingly coming out on the other side of the pandemic, his perspective on navigating a crisis still rings true. Communication is still the key to guiding your employees and clients through difficult times. Hear Marty’s thoughts on the topic—give this throwback a listen!

Joe Valley has built, bought, and sold over a half-dozen of his own companies. After selling his last eCommerce business, he joined the company that sold it—Quiet Light. Then Joe became a partner in the company. Since he’s joined, he’s personally sold $100 million in total transactions. Joe has seen deals fall apart—and other deals exceed all expectations—because of how people behave. What’s the secret to winning a deal when you aren’t the best offer? Joe shares his surprising secret in this episode of Negotiations Ninja. 

When you feel anger rising within you, what do you do? How do you keep your temper from flaring when you’re embroiled in a frustrating negotiation? As she launched her career, Svitlana Kalitsun quickly realized that lawyers don’t know how to negotiate (by no fault of their own). They’re not taught proper negotiation skills. Svitlana’s mission is to help change the way lawyers negotiate—including mastering their emotions. She shares some anger management basics in this special throwback episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast!

When a bad idea is enshrined in an industry, the foundation you build your strategy on is weak at best. That’s problematic, right? That’s why you NEED to start questioning conventional “wisdom.” It’s what Dan Oblinger and Allan Tsang have done for years. It’s also the premise of their new book, “Negotiation Mythbusters: Rethinking Everything You Know About Building Strong Agreements.” In their book, they dissect 30 commonly held negotiation myths. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, we tackled three myths from their book head-on. Don’t miss it! Outline of This Episode [2:11] Learn more about Allan Tsang and Dan Oblinger [5:34] Dan & Allan are releasing a NEW book [9:26] Myth #3: Knowledge is power [14:49] Myth #5: Trust is a necessity [24:25] Myth #19: Negotiators are lone wolves [32:13] Who shouldn’t buy this book [35:36] How to get FREE knowledge from Dan & Allan Resources & People Mentioned Bloom’s Taxonomy Connect with Dan Oblinger + Allan Tsang Connect with Allan on LinkedIn Connect w

According to Raphael Lapin—a Harvard-trained mediator, negotiator, and communication specialist—there IS a difference between an average and a great mediation. So what is his secret? What strategies does he employ to anticipate the interests of the other party? How does he help parties follow through on their commitments? Get all the details in this throwback edition of the Negotiations Ninja podcast! 

What does predictive procurement mean? Can you truly predict pricing? The ability to predict and achieve cost-savings in procurement and supply chain is where there’s often a gap. How do you make an accurate prediction based on data and then achieve it? Edmund Zagorin, the founder of Bid Ops, shares how you can make accurate predictions and achieve the elusive cost savings in this episode of Negotiations Ninja.  Outline of This Episode [2:05] Learn more about the history of Bid Ops [5:26] Major issues procurement organizations face [6:55] How to source talent from within your organization [10:57] Opportunities for procurement in 2022 [13:33] How to build in cost certainty [19:18] Predicting and achieving savings in procurement [24:06] Achievement of predictions using technology [28:51] Learn more about Bid Ops’ conference: Optimal ’22 Resources & People Mentioned Optimal 2022: The Leadership Summit for Predictive Procurement TealBook Salesforce Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross and MaryLou Tyler Conne

It’s hard to think about influence and persuasion without feeling like you’re doing something morally reprehensible, right? In this throwback episode of Negotiations Ninja, Chris Hadnagy talks about his book, “Human Hacking: Win Friends, Influence People, and Leave Them Better Off for Having Met You.” He dives into some of the tactics—based on Cialdini’s Principles of Influence—that he uses to ethically influence people. Believe it or not, it IS possible to influence those around you and leave them better off. Listen to this episode with Chris Hadnagy to learn how.

Welcome back to the informal series on commonly disputed legal clauses (from a procurement perspective). Today, Jeanette Nyden returns to talk about liquidated damages. Jeanette will help us bridge the legal world and the commercial world. Liquidated damages are more on the commercial side of legal language. What are liquidated damages? How does the clause work? How do you calculate the value of liquidated damages? Listen to this episode for the need-to-know details. NOTE: This is NOT legal advice. For adequate legal advice, please seek out adequate legal counsel—inside or outside your organization.  Outline of This Episode [2:00] Learn more about Jeanette Nyden [3:40] What are liquidated damages? [8:00] Calculating the value of the liquidated damage [15:47] Assessing liquidated damages in the SaaS space [21:14] Liquidated damages versus consequential damages [23:16] Contract professionals make note [24:54] Connect with Jeanette Nyden Connect with Jeanette Nyden Jeanette’s Website “The Contract Professiona

“Mr. Schmooze” (Cody Lowry) is back to explain what Schmooze is and why you need it in sales, procurement, and negotiations. It comes down to three simple factors that make you indispensable to the people you serve. 1 - Build relationships. 2 - Be trustworthy. 3 - Never let them down. Listen to this Flashback episode to find out how Cody develops relationships with clients that last 30+ years, when the average is five. 

Becoming effective as a negotiator is simply a process of developing skills. But that doesn’t mean it’s a simple process. It requires dedication and diligence to maximize your ability to achieve your desired outcomes in your negotiations. This is a skill set that can and should be developed by every salesperson, procurement professional, and of course, negotiator. It consists of many things, tools if you will, that must become second nature to you so that they are available at a moment’s notice. Negotiation and sales trainer Julia Ewert calls this skills development “negotiation muscle memory” and believes that the more you can develop it, the more proficient and successful you’ll become. We also address the power of open questions, how to defuse tension using negotiation skills, and how negotiation skills can help businesses convert more sales. Enjoy! Don’t miss this fascinating conversation.

Influence can seem like a mysterious thing, until you have someone who understands it explain it to you in easy-to-understand terms. That’s what Phil Jones does in his book, Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact. Consider it to be a “how to” manual for influence. The good news is that Phil unpacks that goodness for you on this “throwback” episode from our Negotiations Ninja archives. Listen. Get Phil’s book. Carry it with you on your sales calls or keep it at your desk for those virtual meetings. It’s a powerful tool for your arsenal.

Selling has changed over the last few years. No longer can we depend on the face to face opportunities to build rapport and gain trust. Virtual is the new thing and we have to adapt if we are going to survive as sales professionals. My guest on this episode is Steve Brossman, a former National Professional Track Champion, so he knows what it takes to compete and win and he applies that experience and knowledge to his role as a leading Sales Coach.  This conversation is aimed at helping you take your sales game virtual with effectiveness. There is an art to it as well as a science and Steve unpacks both. He shares how to increase buying energy before a sales call and the DNQC conversation flow, which Steve explains during our conversation. Outline of This Episode [0:33] Steve Brossman, Sales Coach and Best-selling author [3:35] What is “buying energy?” [9:39] Creating buying energy  [11:58] Get the DNQC process working for you [19:57] The best way to get your prospect on the same page as you [24:12] Tech t

Jeanette Nyden has spent 18 years teaching people how to negotiate complex contracts. It’s where her passion for making boilerplate language accessible for the contract professional has come from. She wants contract professionals to understand what lawyers are trying to do so they can help internal stakeholders understand the risk profile and create effective indemnity clauses.  Outline of This Episode [0:37] Learn more about Jeanette Nyden [3:50] The definition of indemnity, defend, and hold harmless [9:29] Why do companies have indemnity clauses? [13:56] Injuries to person, property, or “other interests”  [18:19] How third-party indemnity ties-in [25:12] Why you NEED to create a risk profile  [30:19] How to connect with Jeanette Nyden Resources & People Mentioned The LulaRich docuseries Jeanette watched Connect with Jeanette Nyden Jeanette’s Website “The Contract Professional’s Playbook” - Jeanette is the author Follow on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Connect With Mark Follow Negotiations Ninja on

Are you a good listener? In this throwback, Dr. Mark Goulston will probably persuade you otherwise. Did you know that you can talk over, at, to, or with someone? Which one is actually listening—and what should you be doing? Dr. Mark Goulston can help you transform the way you communicate. Listen to this episode of Negotiations Ninja for some of his best communication tips. Be sure to pick up his latest book, “Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone,” to learn even more.  

Joe Paranteau has sold over a billion dollars in revenue. He’s been a Sales Director at Microsoft for over 17 years. He’s a dynamic speaker, visionary, and deep thinker. He is also the author of Billion Dollar Sales Secrets: Superstar Selling Tips for all Seasons, which he wrote to fill the gaps he saw in sales training. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, we share the common areas where people blow their negotiations, the #1 thing that’s wrong with salespeople today, and some of Joe’s sales secrets to help you reach success on either side of the table.  Outline of This Episode [4:04] Where people “blow it” in the sales cycle [6:11] Genuine curiosity lessens sales commission breath [9:00] The six different people in a negotiation  [12:32] The magic of changing your physical positioning [20:21] Learning to talk positively about yourself to yourself [23:13] How to stay hungry for success after achieving your goals [25:41] Recognizing non-assertion signs to respond accordingly [31:32] Sell through the close

In April 2020 we had a great conversation about how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting negotiation. Now, over 6 months later, the world of negotiation is still evolving. Were Keld’s predictions true? Has the latest and greatest technology available on the market improved the outcomes of negotiations? Check out this throwback to see how far we’ve come in half a year—and learn what still applies to current negotiation strategy.