Derek Arden - Business Consultant, Author and Professional Speaker » Negotiation

Can women really only keep a secret for 32 minutes? Implications for negotiations!

Derek Arden — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:24:22 +0000

According to popular newspapers if women in general can only keep a secret for 32 minutes then it has implications for negotiating. In negotiating, you must keep your cards close to your chest – and play them when the timing is right.

If you have told people about how you feel, what you want, what cards you have – you will not have the element of surprise AND more importantly the POWER.

Power negotiating means you have as much information as possible. Women be careful, keep your secrets until you need to play your cards

Goal setting – mentoring key people. Check this objective

Derek Arden — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:32:08 +0000

Very often when I am working with a charity, a client or an individual – they cannot articulate what they want to achieve. Their goal. Their reason for being in business. Summarised in their elevator pitch or their 8 word statement is the vision or what they do.

the goal is where they want to be in 3 years time – 5 years time or 10 years time. This equally applies in a business deal or a negotiation. What do you want and does it make sense?

Never be rushed on decisions, when Negotiating or dealing with important matters

Derek Arden — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:35:06 +0000

Time is a crucial factor in decision making. Often when we are rushed that could be a negotiating tactic of the other side.

Take care, sleep on it – I have found so many times after a good nights sleep – I am in a much better position to make a sound decision

The writing hand and the brain – write things in your own hand to remember them better research says this works

Derek Arden — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:38:46 +0000

Researchers say that writing by hand activates different parts of the brain, meaning the way we learn things may depend to some degree how we write them down. I like taking long hand notes and then changing them into either a mindmap or bullet points to enhance memory.

Before a presentation I will always mindmap the facts into 7 – 10 sections will be the structure of the presentation. This in my experience helps memory retention when you are under pressure – such as in front of an audience, speaking or in an exam or an interview – OR even a negotiation

Body language – energy and the glum look at the G20 summit negotiations

Derek Arden — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:57:46 +0000

If you look at the leaders of the countries negotiating these pretty impossible deals to try and save the Euro They all look glum everytime a camera turns on them.One newspaper described it as the mandated glum look. It takes 72 muscles to frown and look glum BUT only 14 to smile. Smiling creates endorphins and the feel good factor.So to make your cup half full try smiling – its contagious. Smile and people tend to smile back :-)

Wife killer fails lie detector test – his body language says it all. Always read body language

Derek Arden — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:30:33 +0000

A killer agreed to take a lie detector test – and smiled with an ironic smile all the way through. Adrian Prout felt he could outsmart the test - however he hadn’t outsmarted the police and the scientist. They knew from his body language that he was guilty. The human brain is the best lie detecting piece of kit of all BUT it doesnt stand up in court .

It is your test and trust it your own brain – you will not go far wrong. Watch what people are saying with their body language not with their mouth when you are negotiating, making judgements or deciding what to do it will be a great help.

The secret language of success – body language.

Speaking at BarclaysCapital – Business skills to enhance your effectiveness

Derek Arden — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:31:32 +0000

Speaking to a small group of high achievers at BarclaysCapital yestersday – on client rapport, NLP, the difference that makes the difference when closing deals / sales, 1st impressions, psychology of influence and negotiating plus male and female negotiating.

These people are very busy but took the time out to invest in their future – take the time out to read a chapter of a business book – this weekend.

Time and negotiation. Time is not the same time in Libya. Care re perceptions.

Derek Arden — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:10:37 +0000

As a visiting lecturer at Surrey University I was priviledged to run a negotiation masterclass for the MBA group. On the course is a man who fought in Libya and he was telling me that the Apache helicopters command centre used to advise the fighters when they were going to bomb a target by phone and tell them to clear the area in 15 minutes. However because 15 minutes does not mean 15 minutes in Libya and many other Arab countries – when the helipcopters arrived the troops would still be there and helicopters would have to wait for maybe 10 minutes.

When you are negotiating or dealing with someone from another country make sure you understand their perception of time

Negotiating skills with MBAs Surrey University – win win

Derek Arden — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:30:09 +0000

This afternoon I am working with MBA students at Surrey University on negotiation skills. A very important subject for business npeople. I will cover handling dirty tactics, bargaining and haggling, male and female negotiations, body language and discovering the truth, your personal style and how to collaborate and get the best deal.

Leading edge negotiating is a bottom line skill for everyone.

Add in extras when negotiating

Derek Arden — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:46:31 +0000

Negotiable variables – thats the jargon for small inexpensive concessions that you might throw into the negotiating pool to get a better deal.

For example – an extra driving lesson, a coaching session at the end of training programme, a teleseminar, an afternoon watching the superstars train, a battery with an electrical appliance, a small picture frame with a large one, 20% off your next purchase.

Remember the perceived value of the item is often much more than it costs you. Big it up – to negotiate the sale. What variables can you offer and what might you ask for when buying