Blogs - RED BEAR Negotiation Company

Demand statements are powerful strings of dialogue that can either cut like a well-maintained samurai sword or a dull razor depending on your execution. In order to take your negotiations to the next level, you’ll need to find out how to personally keep your demand statements sharp and effective, rather than brute and sloppy.

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...

You’ve likely heard that pressure makes diamonds, and in much the same way, tension makes creative solutions.

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...

Everyone wants to make a good impression. In some instances, we go as far as to put on a carefully curated positive version of themselves.

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...

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...

When a person enters into a negotiation, they can either wing it – ultimately leaving its outcome to fate – or they can arrive with a clearly defined game plan informed by knowledge, experience, and determination. We’re firm believers in the latter. That’s why, drawing on years of experience transforming people, teams, and organizations into world-class negotiators, we’ve developed six core...