On Friday, I had a landlord, in front of some of my peers, slam me with the best backhanded compliment ever. He was graciously asking if my daughter had decided her medical residency specialty and I said that it would be surgical – she likes to cut people open. He replied, “Just like her mother”.
Now, the rest of the table was aghast, but I loved it! Why? Because it tells me that he thinks I am a tough negotiator. He also basically told my peers that I am a force to be reckoned with. After I finished laughing, I told him that I was flattered that he thought so.
Everyone has different styles when negotiating. My tendency is to create a “win win” for everyone. I read a good blog by Harvard Business Review blogger John Baldoni entitled, Compromising When Compromise is Hard. One quote that stood out was this:
“If you run into roadblocks, make respect your watchword. Both act in a way that lets your counterpart respect you, and remember to always treat your counterpart with respect. This lays the foundation for mutual trust, which makes compromise much easier.”
I handle negotiations all day every day – it’s a large part of my job. I have heard repeatedly from landlord agents that they like working with me when I represent their tenants. Why? Because I treat them with respect and I get the job done. Too often I see folks who want to make a negotiation into a win-lose situation with no compromise and it rarely ends up well. Oftentimes I am that buffer between the two parties and can generate a creative solution to the problem. By asking questions to determine the pain points for each side, I am able to craft an outcome that works for everyone.
Take a look at the full article by clicking HERE – it’s a quick read. Contact me for a free lease analysis.
