RED BEAR News

In today’s hyper-competitive markets, customers are tougher, margins are tighter, and sales cycles are more complex than ever. Yet despite this reality, most salespeople still approach negotiation with habits that work against them. Our research across more than 120 companies and 20,000 salespeople reveals a consistent pattern: even talented sellers make wrong turns in their negotiations that...

The Washington Commanders' exclusive negotiation window with Washington D.C. officially ended this week after the D.C. Council missed the deadline to approve a $3.7 billion stadium redevelopment deal. What was described as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" became a textbook example of how deadline pressure, inadequate preparation, and stakeholder misalignment can derail even the most promising...

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's recent comments about US-India trade negotiations being "beyond the middle" offer a masterclass in strategic negotiation positioning. His measured approach—expressing cautious optimism while acknowledging "there is another party involved"—reveals sophisticated planning power that sales and procurement professionals can learn from.

In the high-stakes world of Major League Baseball, where player contracts can exceed $300 million and every decision shapes franchise destiny, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer recently offered a master class in strategic negotiation philosophy. His approach to Kyle Tucker's looming contract extension reveals principles that extend far beyond baseball diamonds into corporate...

When 9,000 Philadelphia city workers represented by AFSCME District Council 33 walked out of contract negotiations on Monday, it marked more than just another labor dispute—it highlighted critical negotiation failures that business leaders can learn from. After months of talks and a mayoral offer of 12% pay increases over one term (the largest in 30 years), both sides reached an impasse that...

The past week delivered a masterclass in negotiation dynamics across industries—from union halls to professional sports to international trade corridors. As negotiation experts, we're always watching real-world examples to identify patterns that can inform better business outcomes. Here's what this week's headlines taught us about power, patience, and strategic decision-making.

The recent NJ Transit engineers' strike that brought rail service to a halt for three days offers a compelling case study in how understanding underlying motivations—what RED BEAR calls "buying motives"—can make or break high-stakes negotiations. While the immediate issue appeared to be wages, the real drivers behind both sides' positions reveal deeper psychological and strategic motivations that...

The WNBA Players Association's current collective bargaining negotiations offer a masterclass in organizational power—specifically, how groups can leverage unity and timing to reshape negotiation dynamics that have historically favored the other side.

The ongoing labor dispute between DHL and its unionized workers offers a compelling case study in how artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the landscape of modern negotiations. Beyond the traditional issues of wages and working conditions, this conflict highlights a critical new battleground: protecting jobs from AI displacement while adapting to technological change.

Vietnam and the United States have concluded their third round of trade negotiations in Washington D.C., marking significant progress in talks aimed at avoiding a crippling 46% tariff on Vietnamese exports. The four-day negotiations from June 9-12 saw both countries make substantial headway, with Vietnamese Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick conducting the...