Good morning,
Happy Friday! One of life’s little pleasures is negotiating. For those who don’t currently find it to be a pleasure, perhaps today’s sunny note will help. Negotiating a better deal doesn’t have to be painful. There are simple techniques that can help. But none of them matter until we embrace this simple fact.
Almost everything is negotiable.
It’s often said that nothing is certain but death and taxes. Okay so death might not be negotiable, but taxes certainly are and so are the prices of everything we buy and sell on the planet.
Some people instinctively negotiate while others shudder at the thought of “haggling” over anything. In general, Americans aren’t particularly prone to negotiate purchases. We walk into stores expecting to pay the prices on the labels without thinking twice. Although missed opportunities in the grocery store might not add up to much, in the business world heedlessly paying sticker price or even sale price without negotiating can be very costly.
The bottom line is – there’s always a better deal available. It’s just a matter of whether we have the desire and the leverage to get it. Sometimes we will and sometimes we won’t, but we always have the opportunity.
Orvel Ray Wilson, author of “Guerrilla Negotiating: How to Create a Fair Advantage in an Unfair World,” offers numerous tips for negotiating in business and defending ourselves from other sharp negotiators. First he points out when not to negotiate, such as when you’d lose the farm, when you don’t care, when the other party’s demands are unethical, etc. Then he reminds us to “never enter a negotiation you’re not willing to walk away from.”
Based on this foundation, here are a few negotiation tips from Orvel:
- Prepare thoroughly and set priorities in advance, including “must gets,” “intend to gets,” and “nice to gets.”
- Ask for more than you really want, more than you even expect. Higher expectations yield higher outcomes.
- Never concede anything during negotiation without asking for something in return.
Most importantly, at home and at work, when you want something to be different - just ask. So much of what we assume is set in stone can actually be changed in our favor if we simply ask. And don’t be afraid of hearing the big bad “no.” Every “no” just gets us closer to the next “yes.”
Go for it – and have a sunny day!
Clarity
P.S. “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
P.P.S. Thank you for visiting ASunnyNote.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit JoinSunnyNotes.com.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com
Showing posts with label Save Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Save Money. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
Use More Words
Good morning,
I hope you had a great week. This morning’s success tip might seem counter cultural in today’s world of instant messages and email on the fly, but that’s why it’s even important than ever: use more words.
We live in a fast paced world that values brevity, as do I (get to the point, please!). But getting to the point is pointless, unless it’s clear. My point is - clear communication saves money and saves relationships.
1) Saves Money – Imagine the enormous number of salary hours spent by employees trying to decipher or follow unclear communications. Yes - we all want the job done fast, but if you want it done fast and right, don’t skimp on the instructions.
2) Saves Relationships – “I thought you arranged tonight’s babysitter! When you said, ‘we’re going need a babysitter this weekend,’ I didn’t know that meant you wanted ME to call her. Now what do we do?”
At work and at home, using just a few more words can make a big difference. I’m not advocating for long rambling meetings (too many words!). Rather, I’m reminding us that a clearly written communication can help keep a meeting brief or even eliminate the need for a meeting at all, while a badly written communication can lead to multiple meetings and hours of lost productivity caused by wasted time deciphering unclear instructions.
In conclusion, there’s a big difference between being brief and being concise – which involves getting to the point quickly but also clearly. While brevity may be the soul of wit, making the audience LOL, brevity can be the death of communication, leaving people wondering WTF. (Oh yeah, and watch out for acronyms…)
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
www.MetroMichigan.com
313-670-7505
P.S. One of the important pieces of information often left out of instructions is “why.” Telling someone “why” something needs to be done enables them to engage their own reasoning to fill in gaps in the instructions and/or help improve the results.
By the way, if you’re interested in more - or clearer - instructions on how to communicate effectively, I suggest checking out the “Top Ten Clear Writing Tips” contained in The Clarity Kit (I had nothing to do with it!), which is available online at http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/clarity/2/2.pdf.
Also, the book “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth H. Blanchard contains good ideas for concise verbal communications.
I hope you had a great week. This morning’s success tip might seem counter cultural in today’s world of instant messages and email on the fly, but that’s why it’s even important than ever: use more words.
We live in a fast paced world that values brevity, as do I (get to the point, please!). But getting to the point is pointless, unless it’s clear. My point is - clear communication saves money and saves relationships.
1) Saves Money – Imagine the enormous number of salary hours spent by employees trying to decipher or follow unclear communications. Yes - we all want the job done fast, but if you want it done fast and right, don’t skimp on the instructions.
2) Saves Relationships – “I thought you arranged tonight’s babysitter! When you said, ‘we’re going need a babysitter this weekend,’ I didn’t know that meant you wanted ME to call her. Now what do we do?”
At work and at home, using just a few more words can make a big difference. I’m not advocating for long rambling meetings (too many words!). Rather, I’m reminding us that a clearly written communication can help keep a meeting brief or even eliminate the need for a meeting at all, while a badly written communication can lead to multiple meetings and hours of lost productivity caused by wasted time deciphering unclear instructions.
In conclusion, there’s a big difference between being brief and being concise – which involves getting to the point quickly but also clearly. While brevity may be the soul of wit, making the audience LOL, brevity can be the death of communication, leaving people wondering WTF. (Oh yeah, and watch out for acronyms…)
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
www.MetroMichigan.com
313-670-7505
P.S. One of the important pieces of information often left out of instructions is “why.” Telling someone “why” something needs to be done enables them to engage their own reasoning to fill in gaps in the instructions and/or help improve the results.
By the way, if you’re interested in more - or clearer - instructions on how to communicate effectively, I suggest checking out the “Top Ten Clear Writing Tips” contained in The Clarity Kit (I had nothing to do with it!), which is available online at http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/clarity/2/2.pdf.
Also, the book “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth H. Blanchard contains good ideas for concise verbal communications.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Just Ask
Good Morning,
Happy Friday! I hope you had a nice week. My goal is to be helpful, so I’m excited to share today’s concept. When implemented, it can absolutely change a person’s life - work life or home life.
It’s so simple and yet it’s ignored at an astonishingly high rate.
Ask for what you want. Just ask!
Okay, I’m sure you already know how powerful this is. But it’s worth mentioning because sometimes we forget; often salespeople become unpaid consultants just by forgetting to ask for the sale.
But this advice applies to more than just sales. It can save you money, get you a job or rekindle a relationship. I’m living proof and I’ll give you some little examples in one of my favorite areas – saving money.
Here are three easy money-saving “asks” I’ve used just within the last week or so. You can do these types of things too, if you’re not already way ahead of me on this. And if saving money isn’t your main objective, then think of it as good practice for requesting the big things you want – the things that can change your life if you ask. Sure, getting a deal doesn’t always make or break my pocketbook, but it always makes me smile. Examples:
Drugstores - Don’t have the loyalty card? (I hate signing up for those!) Don’t get ripped off, get the sale price anyway – just ask if they have a store card they can swipe for you. (By the way, you can get lots of deals at all kinds of stores just by asking.)
Airlines - This week I booked a morning flight with Delta; then it turned out I needed an evening flight instead. I called the airline the next day and explained this to the agent who said, “Certainly, and there’s a $150 change fee.” I said, “Is there any way I can change this ticket without paying the fee?” She said “No.” I said, “That’s really disappointing. Is there any OTHER way I can avoid the fee.” She said, “You can cancel the ticket and rebook it instead of changing it.” I said, “Great! Let’s do that.” (I’ll refrain from commenting here about how ridiculous this change vs. cancellation rule is and how they were going to have me do this the expensive way until I asked twice.) The point is that they’re not going to offer – you have to ask.
Credit Cards - If they raise your rate or charge a fee or do something else you don’t like, call them and ask for what you want. Or if you just feel the itch for a lower rate, call and ask. One of my credit cards recently screwed up an online transaction and it appeared to be a big mess, but following the principal of “just ask,” I called the credit card company and even I was amazed when they straightened it out in my favor.
By the way, with stores you only have to ask once, with the airlines it’s usually twice and with the credit card companies you can count on having to ask at least three times with three different people, but the savings can be worth the phone call.
In business or in our personal lives, what keeps us from asking? Perhaps we forget, or perhaps it’s fear. Whatever stops us, we need to get over it if we want to get ahead. Should we be strategic about how we ask? Of course – think strategically and then ask. Sometimes the results come so easy it’s funny. We all know the downside of asking, the terrifying “no.” But if we’re afraid of that little two-letter word, then the jokes on us.
So ask for what you want. If you don’t, it’s like holding a lottery ticket without checking to see if it’s a winner. Try it. You’ll be amazed at what can happen if you just ask.
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
P.S. Here's another tip - whenever possible, book directly with an airline or your travel agent. They are your friends. Third-party websites are not. Sure – find the deal on the travel website, but then book with the airline directly so you’re better protected if anything goes wrong with your trip, such as missed layovers.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.MetroMichigan.com
Happy Friday! I hope you had a nice week. My goal is to be helpful, so I’m excited to share today’s concept. When implemented, it can absolutely change a person’s life - work life or home life.
It’s so simple and yet it’s ignored at an astonishingly high rate.
Ask for what you want. Just ask!
Okay, I’m sure you already know how powerful this is. But it’s worth mentioning because sometimes we forget; often salespeople become unpaid consultants just by forgetting to ask for the sale.
But this advice applies to more than just sales. It can save you money, get you a job or rekindle a relationship. I’m living proof and I’ll give you some little examples in one of my favorite areas – saving money.
Here are three easy money-saving “asks” I’ve used just within the last week or so. You can do these types of things too, if you’re not already way ahead of me on this. And if saving money isn’t your main objective, then think of it as good practice for requesting the big things you want – the things that can change your life if you ask. Sure, getting a deal doesn’t always make or break my pocketbook, but it always makes me smile. Examples:
Drugstores - Don’t have the loyalty card? (I hate signing up for those!) Don’t get ripped off, get the sale price anyway – just ask if they have a store card they can swipe for you. (By the way, you can get lots of deals at all kinds of stores just by asking.)
Airlines - This week I booked a morning flight with Delta; then it turned out I needed an evening flight instead. I called the airline the next day and explained this to the agent who said, “Certainly, and there’s a $150 change fee.” I said, “Is there any way I can change this ticket without paying the fee?” She said “No.” I said, “That’s really disappointing. Is there any OTHER way I can avoid the fee.” She said, “You can cancel the ticket and rebook it instead of changing it.” I said, “Great! Let’s do that.” (I’ll refrain from commenting here about how ridiculous this change vs. cancellation rule is and how they were going to have me do this the expensive way until I asked twice.) The point is that they’re not going to offer – you have to ask.
Credit Cards - If they raise your rate or charge a fee or do something else you don’t like, call them and ask for what you want. Or if you just feel the itch for a lower rate, call and ask. One of my credit cards recently screwed up an online transaction and it appeared to be a big mess, but following the principal of “just ask,” I called the credit card company and even I was amazed when they straightened it out in my favor.
By the way, with stores you only have to ask once, with the airlines it’s usually twice and with the credit card companies you can count on having to ask at least three times with three different people, but the savings can be worth the phone call.
In business or in our personal lives, what keeps us from asking? Perhaps we forget, or perhaps it’s fear. Whatever stops us, we need to get over it if we want to get ahead. Should we be strategic about how we ask? Of course – think strategically and then ask. Sometimes the results come so easy it’s funny. We all know the downside of asking, the terrifying “no.” But if we’re afraid of that little two-letter word, then the jokes on us.
So ask for what you want. If you don’t, it’s like holding a lottery ticket without checking to see if it’s a winner. Try it. You’ll be amazed at what can happen if you just ask.
Have a Sunny Day!
Clarity
P.S. Here's another tip - whenever possible, book directly with an airline or your travel agent. They are your friends. Third-party websites are not. Sure – find the deal on the travel website, but then book with the airline directly so you’re better protected if anything goes wrong with your trip, such as missed layovers.
Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.MetroMichigan.com
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