NEGOTIATION
NEGOTIATION
Deal Or No Deal : What ’ s In A Negotiation
By Janet Sudi Maina
Donald Trump became the first president of the free world to meet the president of North Korea Kim Jon Un . This meeting , which was highly anticipated for months , left critics saying that President Trump was fluttered by President Kim . They maintain that he did not have anything in the box cut out to his advantage , and therefore , this did not make their negotiation any different from what his predecessors had made , albeit not in person . Others argued that Mr . Trump further extending an invitation of the said dictator to White House denigrates America ’ s fight for human rights .
What ’ s Your Verdict ?
Negotiations are commonplace in businesses , from deals in private equity arrangements to consultancies and many more including salary negotiations .
Good negotiation skills are a win for every PR professional . Have you ever left a pitch confident enough that you have nailed that interview ? You are certain that you are the person for the job judging by the directors ’ awe-struck nonverbal communication ? Of course , selfconfidence is one of the greatest traits of a PR pro , but you should not get on your high horse until you get the green light for execution .
Many marketing and PR consultants often make the costly mistake of jumping the gun , being overly optimistic of winning the pitch that they do a follow up by dispensing information including advisory on strategy and tactics even before being invited to the negotiating table . This is all in the assumption that
Many marketing and PR consultants often make the costly mistake of jumping the gun , being overly optimistic of winning the pitch that they do a follow up by dispensing information including advisory on strategy and tactics even before being invited to the negotiating table . This is all in the assumption that they are playing ahead of the curve . they are playing ahead of the curve .
Could that explain why suddenly you are told ‘ unfortunately we do not have budget .’ You wonder why they had to go through the pain of calling for proposals upon sudden realization that there is no budget . Simple - you have given the client a barrage of information on solutions they require , why would they bother giving you a dime .
You can avoid such pitfalls by proving indispensable , in the following ways :
Follow Up
After the interview , write a follow-up email inquiring of next steps and enquire if they are happy to have you do a proposal . The proposal will give you an edge since , in addition to proving your commitment to the assignment , it will give the client a roadmap of the execution plan . On the brighter side , it could grant you an invite to the negotiating table . Ensure that when you give a date when they should expect the proposal , you stick to it .
Proposal
Ensure it has the background , where you start by mentioning the highlights of their call for proposal . Re-emphasize why they indeed need a consultant with your expertise . Then lay down the objectives of
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