posts By Bradley Chowles

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

Anchoring is the single most underestimated execution discipline in commercial negotiation. Most teams walk into high-stakes conversations without a deliberate plan for how to set the frame, and that is where margin starts to erode before a single concession is exchanged. Understanding anchoring examples in negotiation reveals why some teams consistently shape outcomes in their favor while others...

Negotiation Training: 6 Guidelines for Smart Concessions Negotiation training programs spend hours on opening positions and power dynamics. Yet the moment that most often determines whether an agreement protects or destroys value is the moment a concession hits the table. Business negotiation strategies that ignore concession discipline produce deals that look closed on paper but leak margin in...

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...