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!

I’m a Christian so I thought an article on ethical negotiating tactics might be in order. When you talk about negotiating tactics, some people feel uncomfortable thinking about how to negotiate better, especially when they aren’t thinking in terms of ethical negotiations. Chances are, it’s because someone who knew these kind of tactics used them to take advantage of them or someone they knew, instead of using ethical negotiating tactics to create win-win accords and make all parties happy with the solution agreed upon. Either way, whether you want to know how to negotiate better or protect yourself from the unethical types among us…you’ll like reading this article on ethical negotiations.

31. Remember, addendums supersede the main agreement.

32. Negotiation tactic for big deals: Hire good attorneys and pay them what they are worth. Few know how to negotiate better than skilled attorneys.

33. Read George Ross’s (Donald Trump’s attorney, you might know him from the Apprentice early seasons) book, called Lessons of a Billionaire Investor .

34. Always leave the door open to counter-offers. Future circumstances bring new choices.

35. If you say you’ll call/email/respond at a certain time, do it. If you want to know how to negotiate better, learn how to communicate better.

36. “If this will cause you to lose sleep at night, I’d rather not do it. Is it going to be a problem?” Let people know it needs to work for them AND you, not just you.

37. Always create value. Create value. Create value. Put a value on it, describe it, make them want it, and give it to them. They don’t have to know it a. didn’t cost you anything or b. you didn’t want it in the first place or c. they would have gotten it anyway

38. Negotiation is a game. Why choose to be on the sidelines, when so little work is required to become a player? Now, if you want to be an all-star…

39. “What’s more important, X or Y?” Let them choose and hold them to it. Someone who uses ethical negotiation tactics expects the other person to do the same- but is prepared if they don’t.

40. Creative problem solving leads to big profits. Be a problem solver.

41. Become known as a businessperson whose word is their bond.

42. If they can’t or won’t, always ask “Why?”

43. “OK, I’ll give you your price, but you’ll have to meet my terms”. Tit for tat.

44. Remember, “every problem has a price tag” when you’re buying. If there’s a problem, quantify it, run the numbers and offer that much less.

45. Never say “Take it or leave it”. This is NOT a power play; in fact it is a sign of INSECURITY. Usually anyway, but it’s much better to say “never” than to list and explain in detail the few exceptions when this would be advisable in ethical negotiations.

PowerPoint is usually used for presentation and in order to make the presentation a good one, there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind. One of them is the general design of the presentation. This covers important aspects such as the background and the appearance. It is recommended that you should keep the background consistent and subtle.

The use of the clipart should be doe sparingly and you are required to select the graphic that should relate to the topic of the particular slide. The other thing you need to keep in mind is to use the same style of graphics all through the presentation as it enhances consistency. The use of flashy graphics, number of transitions and noisy effects should be kept to the minimum.

When it comes to the color of the presentation, it s advisable that you limit the number of colors you use on a single screen. The colors used in a chart should not be more than four in order to make it more visible. While bright colors make thin lines and small objects stand out, using them may make the presentation difficult to read especially when projected. To ensure that this does not happen, check on the colors before the presentation so that you can make the necessary changes when need be.

The font is also a very important consideration when it comes to use of PowerPoint for presentation. Ensure that you have selected the fonts that can be easily read when projected and they should be not less than 24-point min size. You need also to ensure that you have differentiated the headings, subheading and the body of the slide by use of larger fonts or font in different colors. To ensure that the presentation achieves the contrast it desires, use a light background with dark text or dark background with light text. Be careful when using dark background though, because some of them may be difficult to read.

Apart from the design aspects, keep in mind the general presentation basics. Ensure that the spelling and the grammar of the presentation is correct. Start the presentation with a brief overview and finish it with a review of the points. Use the bullet points as a cue for the presentation as it will help you avoid reading it.