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Answer Upon - 5 Steps To Getting A Better Contract, A Better Offer, Or Even A Better Deal!
I’ve been an advertising consultant to thousands of businesses over the past 35 years. During that period, I listened to various companies bemoan the fact that another competitor was entering their marketplace. I asked them why that was a problem, and they usually explained how the new guy would probably take away some of their customers. If this appears to be a legitimate complaint, this article is directed at YOU! Let me tell you why and how competition could actually increase your business.I was a Yellow Page consultant for 25 years before I started my own web-based business with my wife. I even wrote an insider’s book about my experiences during that quarter-century. One of stories in the book had to do with competition. A large local waterbed company used to run an expensive television campaign every Friday to promote their multiple locations. When I
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered
One of the most important things in franchising is to build a Confidential Operations Manual that will explain every single part of your business so your franchisees will have them available and can study them. Unfortunately, you also must be careful that your Confidential Operations Manual does not fall into the hands of competitors.In Mr. Gerber's book; The E-Myth, he explained the necessity of being able to put together an operations manual and it is more important in franchising than probably any other industry. This is one thing that the future franchisor must do for himself and yet so many companies specialize in making franchise operations manuals. In other words because it is so hard to do; there are people out there who you can hire to do it for you.As a franchisor I spent six months twelve hours a day at my favorite local coffee shop writing my own
Here are the 5 steps you need to climb to becoming a better negotiator:
1. Figure out what the value of your car is; what your services are worth in the marketplace (ask friends, relatives or colleagues what people like you earn in the private sector); ask a few real estate agents to give you a straight-forward assessment of your home.
a. Once you know the approximate value of these things (also called research), you’re well on your way to understanding how to obtain them for the price you want to pay or receive.
b. Your goal is to maximize the value of your car, home or services.
c. The buyer’s goal is to obtain these things for the least possible amount. The seller’s goal is to sell the item for the most possible. The key is figuring out where each side is willing to come to in order to reach their goal.
2. Armed with that research, you ask your boss for a few minutes of his time to discuss your progress with a project you’re working on. Explain how much you’ve done recently to improve the bottom line for your company. Show how your efforts have increased productivity while keeping down costs. Put your best foot forward. If you’ve had some pitfalls while at work, or have not interacted well with some co-workers, don’t hide that fact. Your boss will undoubtedly know. Instead, turn it around.
“You know, I had some difficulty with Jim and Sam while running this project, but I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m proud to say I’m a better person for it.” Be humble, but also be forceful. “With all the effort I’m putting into this project, and all the extra hours I’m needed here at the office, it would be great if you could see your way to increase my salary by ‘x’ dollars per week. I’ve saved the company a truckload of money…and I’d like you to know that I’m eager to take on more responsibility…I’m here for you, and I know you support the effort we’re making for the company. Any extra income would be a great incentive to work even harder.”
Don’t put him on the spot. Instead suggest, “I know you didn’t expect this, so I don’t expect an answer right away. But if you could let me know your answer by the end of the week, that would be great.” Even if you don’t get your raise that week, you’ve let your boss know that you’re a team player, and you’re making the company money by your efforts.
3. “I’ll give you $500,000 for your house,” said the prospective buyer.
“My asking price is $600,000,” answered the homeowner. “But the house needs renovations, the basement leaks, the roof is damaged, the house hasn’t been painted in 20 years, the hot water heater looks as if it’s on its’ last legs…” says the potential buyer.
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered $
IntroductionEntrepreneurship demands that a person is willing to take risks, venture and achieve results. This implies amongst others that the person should be willing to dare to do and stake his or her future on something. Often, this required output behaviour is inhibited by the educational approach followed in the teaching and learning environments to which people are exposed.PurposeThe purpose of this article is to propose some educational principles that if adhered to, may promote and sustain entrepreneurial behaviour in a knowledge driven economy.PrinciplesPrinciple 1: Introduce learning and teaching approaches that would stimulate the curiosity of students to discover essentials for themselves for the sake of discovery itself.This demands that educators should rather try to play a minimum role in educat
b. Your goal is to maximize the value of your car, home or services.
c. The buyer’s goal is to obtain these things for the least possible amount. The seller’s goal is to sell the item for the most possible. The key is figuring out where each side is willing to come to in order to reach their goal.
2. Armed with that research, you ask your boss for a few minutes of his time to discuss your progress with a project you’re working on. Explain how much you’ve done recently to improve the bottom line for your company. Show how your efforts have increased productivity while keeping down costs. Put your best foot forward. If you’ve had some pitfalls while at work, or have not interacted well with some co-workers, don’t hide that fact. Your boss will undoubtedly know. Instead, turn it around.
“You know, I had some difficulty with Jim and Sam while running this project, but I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m proud to say I’m a better person for it.” Be humble, but also be forceful. “With all the effort I’m putting into this project, and all the extra hours I’m needed here at the office, it would be great if you could see your way to increase my salary by ‘x’ dollars per week. I’ve saved the company a truckload of money…and I’d like you to know that I’m eager to take on more responsibility…I’m here for you, and I know you support the effort we’re making for the company. Any extra income would be a great incentive to work even harder.”
Don’t put him on the spot. Instead suggest, “I know you didn’t expect this, so I don’t expect an answer right away. But if you could let me know your answer by the end of the week, that would be great.” Even if you don’t get your raise that week, you’ve let your boss know that you’re a team player, and you’re making the company money by your efforts.
3. “I’ll give you $500,000 for your house,” said the prospective buyer.
“My asking price is $600,000,” answered the homeowner. “But the house needs renovations, the basement leaks, the roof is damaged, the house hasn’t been painted in 20 years, the hot water heater looks as if it’s on its’ last legs…” says the potential buyer.
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered
No, it’s certainly not enthusiasm. There’s usually more than enough of that to go around. And it’s certainly not a lack of ideas. Would-be business owners can pop those out faster than fireworks exploding on the 4th of July. And by now most wannabes seem to realize the importance of a written business plan, whether using their own money or they anticipate a need to borrow, so it’s not that. The key ingredient most start-ups lack is a Professional Support Team.I’m not talking about an emotional cheering section made up of friends and family members. Too much of that kind of blind faith has gotten more than one entrepreneur into trouble. What I strongly recommend, both to my coaching clients as well as my students, is a select group of professionals – hired before a business plan is finalized – so those pros can provided in advance whatever help the would-be owne
“You know, I had some difficulty with Jim and Sam while running this project, but I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m proud to say I’m a better person for it.” Be humble, but also be forceful. “With all the effort I’m putting into this project, and all the extra hours I’m needed here at the office, it would be great if you could see your way to increase my salary by ‘x’ dollars per week. I’ve saved the company a truckload of money…and I’d like you to know that I’m eager to take on more responsibility…I’m here for you, and I know you support the effort we’re making for the company. Any extra income would be a great incentive to work even harder.”
Don’t put him on the spot. Instead suggest, “I know you didn’t expect this, so I don’t expect an answer right away. But if you could let me know your answer by the end of the week, that would be great.” Even if you don’t get your raise that week, you’ve let your boss know that you’re a team player, and you’re making the company money by your efforts.
3. “I’ll give you $500,000 for your house,” said the prospective buyer.
“My asking price is $600,000,” answered the homeowner. “But the house needs renovations, the basement leaks, the roof is damaged, the house hasn’t been painted in 20 years, the hot water heater looks as if it’s on its’ last legs…” says the potential buyer.
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered
Good customer service is not rocket science. It is a blend of knowledge, proper phone etiquette, and genuine interest in the customer you are servicing.Most companies provide training for their customer service reps and tools are usually provided via cheat sheets and/or computer programs that enable the customer service representative to perform more efficiently.Keep in mind, when you are a customer service rep, you are representing the company you work for. A customer service rep that is rude, unknowledgeable, or uncaring regarding the callers' problem or situation reflects on the company they work for.Important things to remember:1. When initially listening to the customer complaint or concern, be sure and take down as much information as possible so when you go to research for an answer, you will have your notes to rely on to give the best poss
Don’t put him on the spot. Instead suggest, “I know you didn’t expect this, so I don’t expect an answer right away. But if you could let me know your answer by the end of the week, that would be great.” Even if you don’t get your raise that week, you’ve let your boss know that you’re a team player, and you’re making the company money by your efforts.
3. “I’ll give you $500,000 for your house,” said the prospective buyer.
“My asking price is $600,000,” answered the homeowner. “But the house needs renovations, the basement leaks, the roof is damaged, the house hasn’t been painted in 20 years, the hot water heater looks as if it’s on its’ last legs…” says the potential buyer.
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered
How much would "perfect" information be worth to you? How much would you pay for it? If I could tell you with certainty where the economy, or the stock market, or interest rates would be over the next 2 to 3 years, wouldn't that be worth a lot to you? Of course, there is no such thing as perfect information -we live in a world of uncertainty. But, real information does have value and you should be willing to pay something for it. Getting actionable information is an investment. It takes time, money, and discipline to collect information but it can pay a huge dividend.There's a difference between data and information. Data is factual items collected over time. It's raw material for good information. To be valuable, data must be organized in a meaningful way and then analyzed. Information is knowledge and understanding that helps you make decisions with more ce
“Ah, but what house doesn’t have its’ faults? Look at the neighborhood. Property values have doubled lately. So what’s a little touch-up here and there. You know the blemishes in the house. You know it’s a great location, the school district is incredible, and this property is huge. You also know that in a few years this property will be worth at least $200,000 more than you’re going to pay. It’s a great steal at $600,000,” replied Mr. Take-it-or-leave it.
a. Well, here’s the dilemma: Do you increase your offer?
You know you want the house, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered $500,000. But you’re also trying to save money, because you know that you’ll have to do a lot of major work to the house even before you move in. My suggestion: Try again to point out the “blemishes” and the costs associated with all of the renovations and repairs needed. Go the extra mile, and get actual estimates of what it would cost to get those repairs done. Then present the costs to Mr. Stuck-in-a-hole mentality, and make sure you add in some extra to cover your time and effort to get those repairs done. By the end, your number will probably come close to the $600,000 the buyer wanted to begin with.
b. If he’s still not willing to budge, you have to determine if it’s financially worth the extra money to be in that house, in that neighborhood. If not, move on. If yes, good luck, and before you plunk down your hard earned money, go rent the movie “The Money Pit” with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long. It’s a comedy about a young couple that buys a clunker of a house in the suburbs and spends endless amounts of money fixing it up.
4. When negotiating, do not yell and scream. Instead, remain polite, firm and forceful. Do not back down on your principles, but acknowledge when a weakness has been exposed. Use it to your advantage. “Sure, it’s a weak point, but just look at our strong points…” If your requests are rejected, ask them to reconsider. Explain why your position is a better position than theirs.
5. Meanwhile, at the car dealer, Mr. Buy-it-for-a-bargain is looking at that brand-new SUV that just came on the market. He really likes the car. The sticker price is $20,000. “I’ll give you $15,000,” says Mr. Buy-it for-a-bargain.
“That’s below my cost,” replies Mr. Sleazy Dealmaker. “I’ll lose money. How about $18,500…my best deal…my manager will kill me for offering this fully loaded car at this price,” says Mr. Dealmaker.
a. What do you do? Get up and walk out? Hope the salesman will stop you in your tracks and plead for you to return, giving you the car below his cost? Unlikely in today’s market.
b. Counter-offer. Tell him you can get a better deal across town. To really put the screws to him, tell him the exact number you were quoted across town, and if he says no, then you can go buy your car across town. At least you’ve given him the opportunity to match his competitor’s price. (You better make sure that you actually got a number, and are not simply trying to make up a number to use for negotiating. Lying won’t work well during negotiation. Facts are always much, much better.)
The line in the sand
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In every negotiation there is an endpoint at which you have determined not to step over, regardless of what’s being offered. “I’m not paying more than $17,000 for that car.” “I’m not paying more than $500,000 for
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