posts By Bradley Chowles

“Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.” – G. K. Chesterton

We’ve chatted a fair bit about the ins and outs of negotiation skills on the RED BEAR blog, but let’s quickly take a lesson from a different industry. There’s a common understanding in the world of User Experience (UX) that people can’t be trusted to tell you what they want. For instance, if you ask a group what they want in the design and functionality of a mobile app, they might list all kinds...

Power can mean very different things to different people. To a dictator, for instance, it means having absolute control over the lives of their people; to a musician, it’s commanding the emotions of their audience. One thing that all types of power have in common, however, is influence. That’s why every negotiation is, at its core, all about the power dynamic between the two parties. Each side of...

When you enter into any kind of negotiation – be it a sales negotiation, a salary discussion, or even asking someone out on a date – how easy it is to get what you want depends on what the other party thinks of your offer. If they don’t think it’s worth much, you’ll have very little leverage and will struggle to walk away with your desired outcome. But if the other party knows the value of your...

“If you are curious, you’ll find puzzles all around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.” — Erno Rubik

It’s anniversary night and you’re trying to decide on the perfect place to eat. Since it’s a special occasion you’re willing to pay a bit extra, but you also don’t want to spend money just for the sake of it. You’ve narrowed it down to two contenders, and head to their respective websites to see what they’re all about. While site A ticks all the boxes and has a cheaper menu, site B features a...

We’ve all been there. You’re coming to the final stages of a negotiation and everything seems to be going well. Then suddenly you hit a brick wall. The other party has taken a hard right turn and is demanding a discounted price that’s significantly lower than your target price. This is price pressure, and you likely know exactly what it sounds like: “Come on, what’s your best and final price?”

Making concessions is a key part of any negotiation. After all, it’s the difference between artfully exchanging value in a way that encourages a long-term partnership and standing there like a petulant toddler demanding the world without giving anything in return.

Negotiation is a lot like a game of poker, in that it often rides on how well you know the person sitting across from you: their tells, their style of communication, how they perceive you, how they want to be perceived — you name it. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to play around their strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses for your own benefit. And when you don’t know your...