This morning was an early start. I was invited by Sally Albin of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce to give a breakfast seminar at Mya Lacarte in Caversham, and found myself at an unfeasibly early hour in the Waitrose car park gathering projector and laptop.
'Doing Deals that Deliver' was the subject of the seminar, and judging by the reception, it was a topic close to the audience's hearts.
All of us have been in situations where we feel that we and our client/supplier/business partner are pulling in opposite directions. It's so easy to charge into new business relationships with our own objectives at the forefront, only for things to go pear-shaped down the line.
The key to a deal that delivers what both parties expect is in firstly being clear about what each of you wants from the deal, and secondly ensuring that both are mutually compatible. If you are focussed on finding a beta site for your funkiest new product, while your client wants a trouble-free and quick implementation, you are destined for trouble. But if you find a client who doesn't mind the odd hiccup in order to secure a good price and steal a march on the competition, you could be on to a winning deal.
Among the Thames Valley Chamber audience were several solicitors, including one specialising in divorce. Interestingly, she suggested that this was a key issue in many marriage breakdowns - differing objectives that neither party had discussed beforehand.
I'm not suggesting that Devant negotiation training will ensure long and happy marriages, but delivering great long term relationships is what we're all about. So who knows - maybe a new market will open up for pre-marital negotiation training!
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