Category View (Negotiating)

I received a baseball type of cap when participating in a golf tournament about 10 years ago and I still wear it because it reminds me of an important principal: On the front of the cap it says “ Win-Win”. I equate that phrase to mean that you can be a winner at negotiating by seeing to it that the other party is still getting their needs met in the transaction. And, just because you win doesn’t mean someone has to lose. My most successful negotiations have come from bridging the gap of misinformation and miscommunication between buyer and seller. Once I can get to the more...

When married couples split up and one person makes more money than the other, often somebody ends up paying alimony...and it’s usually the man. But legally, under state laws, both women and men are entitled to financial support if there’s a large discrepancy in spousal income. In the past, not many men had the need...or the nerve...to ask their wives for alimony. However, recently there’s been a move toward gender equality. A lot more men are asking for alimony or, as some people call it, "manimony." But the numbers are far from equal. In marriages right now, one-third of the higher-earning spouses are more...

Negotiating is an art. There are nuances and finely honed techniques and rules to be aware of. Here are a few of them: Know what you’re doing. Sounds simple, but I’ve seen a lot of instances where I couldn’t believe how much the other side didn’t know. I immediately knew I could have a grand slam and fast, just based on their apparent lack of preparation. My father used to tell me, “Know everything you can about what you’re doing.” He was absolutely right, and I’m giving you the same advice. Follow it. Remember, it takes a lot of smarts to play dumb more...

A power strategy from the pages of George H. Ross’s book, Trump Strategies for Real Estate George Ross, Senior Counsel for The Trump Organization, is a formidable negotiator and businessman. In his book Trump Strategies for Real Estate, he sets out this simple strategy that can actually make banks eager to lend you money, whether you are buying a building or funding a business. Entrepreneurs and real estate investors usually don’t apply for loans until they are already involved in a deal of some kind. Since they need funding fast, they walk into a bank, meet with a loan officer they have never more...