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Ultimate Danger and Agony of Negotiating Like Donald Trump – Negotiation Tip of the Week

The intent of this article is to highlight the negotiation tactics used by Donald Trump. It doesn’t pass judgment on the man.

Some have called Donald Trump a negotiator’s negotiator when it comes to the art of the deal. Many have sought to emulate his tactics, but upon examination, one might be cautious to do so. That’s because one needs the resources that Mr. Trump has to sustain the type of negotiation ploys he employs. Take as an example the following…

Stating verifiable truths as untruths:

It’s very difficult to negotiate with someone that offers alternative facts to reality when making offers and counteroffers that you and they make. It’s akin to being in an environment where up is down, out is in, and right is wrong. Through such mental maneuverings, Mr. Trump leaves an opposing negotiator in a state of doubt per the direction to take in a negotiation.

I never promised you a rose garden:

Mr. Trump makes promises that are too good to believe at times. Then, some of those promises never become reality. At times, he has a way of telling people what they want to hear, what they want to believe. A negotiator that does not follow through on promises will lose his believability eventually. From there, he’ll lose the trust of those with whom he negotiates.

Using Bullying Tactics:

Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you should take advantage of people. Mr. Trump has boasted in the past about his ability to use other people’s money and resources to put deals together. Then, if the deal doesn’t bear fruit, he walks away leaving others holding the bag. If you acquire a reputation as a negotiator of leaving others holding the bag when troubles occur, they’ll avoid negotiating with you and you’ll miss potential opportunities that would have otherwise availed themselves. Always be mindful of how you treat the smallest and largest of people.

Danger:

When you lie, perceived to be unfair, and you leave some people feeling you don’t value them, eventually it’ll catch up with you. There will come a time when someone that negotiates tougher than you will seek to slay your negotiation efforts. They may do so as payback for the reputation you’ve established as being a ruthless negotiator, or simply to take your crown.

Agony:

The inherent agony in the way Mr. Trump negotiates is encased in his brand. That’s to say, he’s massaged his brand to a point that some people see him as a savior based on what his perceived accomplishments have been in business. They transfer those perceived skills as being viable in other realms of life (i.e. the presidency). The lesson to be observed from this dilemma is, you should negotiate with those that are more disposed to your influence than those that are not. By doing so, you stand a better chance of achieving more successful negotiation outcomes.

In your negotiations, be cautious when employing the strategies that Mr. Trump employs. He can get away with some of them, for now, because of who he is and the resources he has. You’re not him. So, if you’re wise, you won’t try these tactics at home or anywhere else. By not doing so… everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

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How Will the Present Economy Affect Employee Certification Training

Desperate times normally bring out the creativity in the human person. Poverty is said to be the mother of all invention. The present economic imbroglio is unnerving to the IT professional. The signs are blatantly displayed that there is a uneasiness in the technology world. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a group of workers who are currently in limbo after learning that their company was bought out by a corporate giant. Oh yes, the days of being secure in your IT job are gone. The professional has to make himself or herself valuable to the stakeholder. That acronym rings through, ROI. Being an active observer for the past eleven years, I fully understand and support the posture of the decision makers as regards maximizing their training dollar. I have witnessed abuse by a minority of employees who viewed training as a day off. Just a way to be off the job. I have seen the majority of employees really working to achieve professional advancement and then not rewarded for their effort. In some cases it was just wastage of training dollars, the money had to be used up before the next year or the department would lose it. Goodbye to those days.

The days of the easy release of training dollars for employees by employers are over. No longer will employees be allowed to peruse the corridors of training institutions with impunity. The present economic turmoil has sealed that door. The need for certified employees is still a high priority but with the uncertainty of the business environment, these dollars are not going to be wasted. The big words, RETURN ON INVESTMENT! The adult/learner/employee has to evaluate the needs of the organization to which they are affiliated and go for it.

Every business enterprise that is connected to the internet has one major concern, SECURITY! Not only are these organizations tightening their approach to information security but they are, in some cases, mandated to display to stakeholders, their security posture. Compliance laws, directives and regulations like HIPAA, SOX,and Gramm-Leach-Bliley has made it a matter of successful or failing business ventures. Today the average network employee is being exposed to a whole new daily jargon. Privacy, confidentiality, integrity, availability, due care, due diligence, prudent person and on and on. The well-known network compromises of the last decade has created an environment that defines territory. Networks are already in place. They have been designed with speed and availability as the priority service. Not security. The old 80/20 rule of networking no longer applies. The evolution of communication from closed to open has redefined networks. A few years ago, you would see a few network security books on the shelves. Today there are books on Security+; Certified Ethical Hacking; Data Forensics, CISSP just to mention a few. The employee/stakeholder has finally accepted the fact that network staff is in a battle for control. The bad dudes are out there. Networks devices, applications, processes are all vulnerable ( check the SANS.org vulnerability list).

Most students I’ve met, have the needed knowledge of IT. The deviation is moving into the security field. What I love about it is that it is dynamic. There is a new challenge everyday. The Security + certification ( Comptia) is a phenomenal start. This program introduces the student to basic concepts of information security. Cisco has recently created the CCNA Security specialization. SANS has some great classes, so does Planet 3 for the WiFi heads. The need for qualified security personnel is overwhelming, this presents an opportunity for the serious networker to advance his/her career and be rewarded for it.

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PowerPoint Presentation-Will You Slide to a Make-or-Break Moment?

You are facing the decision-makers who can put a lucrative contract in your pocket. You are about to get your PowerPoint presentation rolling. It’s a make-or-break moment. They have been pitched to with PowerPoint from other companies with big reputations and experienced sales departments but they are interested in you and your company. Will the weeks you have put into your preparation pay off?

Let’s rewind a few days and look over your shoulder…

While we watch, you fire up PowerPoint and head for your previous best presentation. Skip to slide 2. It is headed: ‘We have the best solution for your needs’. Great start! But then you begin to think…they don’t know us yet, so I’d better tell them who we are and what we have done for other clients. You delete the out-of-date bullets and start typing. Bullet 1… Bullet 2… Ah! You hit Bullet 8, and the text shrinks so that it is too small to read. Easily solved! You start a new PowerPoint slide and carry on.

Three slides later and you’ve completed the list. What’s next? A diagram! You set to work on slide five…

Lets press ‘Stop’ on that scene and consider the slippery slope you are on.

PowerPoint’s slippery slope

You moved off down the slope by making the assumption that because bullet points are the default slide mode in PowerPoint, they are the way to go. A quick web search will find you lots of reasons for not using bullet lists (or PowerPoint at all) but the most important is that audiences have become ‘blind’ to bullet lists and switch off when they see one. Its not called ‘Death by PowerPoint’ for nothing!

You picked up speed with the second assumption, that PowerPoint is easy. It’s a common trap when people have had little or no training. And most of us haven’t.

You rushed towards the PowerPoint abyss when you went off the point of the objective and turned it into information about your company; not about your potential client’s needs.

PowerPoint success factors

Lets rewind to a different scenario…

Long before firing up PowerPoint you consulted colleagues. Together, you constructed a shortlist of reasons why the company you will be pitching to may be letting the contract. You’ve identified how your company can meet their objectives in a unique and advantageous way. Based on this, you’ve mapped out the structure of your PowerPoint presentation. Its also what you did to put your successful proposal together.

Yes! Your first PowerPoint success factor was the realization that your presentation does not need to tell them anything new. Its purpose is to remind them why they were interested enough in your proposal to ask to see you. Watching you manage your PowerPoint gives them an opportunity to assess you and to prepare questions. It’s a test masquerading as an information-giving session!

Your second PowerPoint success factor comes when you recognize that the people you are presenting to are not interested in what your company has done for other clients. They only care about whether you will solve their problem better than anyone else. So put your company information in a handout, not in your presentation.

Your third PowerPoint success factor is that your presentation is going to keep your audiences attention and focus them on your message with more impact than your competitors. To do this you have invested in some good PowerPoint training. It is not difficult to find, but be aware that the learning curve has only just started when you are taught how to apply PowerPoint animations!

Eight stages of personal PowerPoint development

There are at least eight stages of development people go through if they are persistent with PowerPoint:

1) Using Microsoft wizards and templates.

2) Introducing animations and graphic elements, such as clip art.

3) Discarding clip art in favor of photos.

4) Experimenting with PowerPoint’s more advanced features, such as multiple template masters.

5) Going minimalist or rejecting PowerPoint altogether for fear of getting it wrong.

6) Introducing storytelling techniques to structure presentations.

7) Developing new graphic approaches to the expression of ideas.

8) Getting right the balance between 5, 6 and 7.

If you can get to the sixth stage your confidence will be greatly increased and so will your chances of having ‘make’ rather than ‘break’ PowerPoint moments.

Get to the eighth stage and you will be head and shoulders above your competitors!

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