Negotiation Strategies – Bracketize the Offers

During March Madness sports fans affectionately refer to the NCAA Basketball tournament as “bracketology”. It’s a 65 team playoff, over 18 days, single elimination (winner keeps going, loser goes home)…one ultimate winner. I think it’s the best event in sports.
In negotiation, we sometimes pride ourselves on “thinking on our feet” or “winging it.” Don’t fool yourself. There is a better way. It’s called “bracketizing.”

The best chance for Negotiation success comes from what we call “Aggressive Preparation”. In the Humble Confidence Negotiation Workshop we dive into the 6 Stages of Negotiation Preparation. Stage 5 is what we call “bracketizing” our offers. We prepare and bracket 4 offers:

1) The Best (better than expected)
2) The Realistic (what it should be)
3) The Fallback (acceptable range of backup)
4) The Alamo (don’t go there…call a timeout!)

Bracketizing means we project ahead and determine a range of offers. We gain the discipline of staying within the plan, or “bracket”. We never “wing it” or freelance deals at the table. Never.

Now that’s not to mean we’re rigid or “un-creative”. Not at all. But it does mean we control our emotions and don’t get caught up in the euphoria of deal-completion. Sometimes we just want to be done…be careful not to let your desire to finish drive a sub-par outcome.

Bracketizing is just one stage. There are 5 more in “Aggressive Preparation”. We call it “Aggressive” because you have to drive your team and yourself to embrace the process. And remember, 90% of a successful negotiation happens in this stage, before you even get in the room!

Birthstone Jewelry – That Special One of a Kind Present

Diamonds are such an easy choice when deciding on jewelry. It’s classic, it always looks good, and it’s almost always the stone being advertised. But aren’t we forgetting some of the most beautiful stones available? What happened to those beautiful rubies, glowing amethysts and dazzling sapphires… just to name a few. These colourful palettes of striking gemstones are often overlooked but should be reconsidered because they make perfect presents!

Giving a personalized gift with a unique stone that is completely attuned to a special someone is so meaningful. Birthdays are one-of-a-kind. It’s about time we celebrate the intimitability of those we love most by cherishing them with something special! But these stones are great gifts for any special day! New mothers love to treasure the birth of their child with birthstone jewelry. Grandmothers can keep their family close to her heart at all times with a necklace that showcases the birthstones of all her children and grandchildren. Couples can embrace and cherish the love they share with a matching birthstone couples ring. We love birthstone jewelry for every occasion!

Birthstone jewelry is amazing because of the large range of styles and prices. Online stores tend to have a wide selection to help you pick the perfect piece, which is perfectly personalized for you. We’ve found that online jewelry stores have a huge assortment of rings, necklaces, and bracelets that can be customized to express individuality and unique birth months. Their personalized pieces make the perfect presents for mothers, daughters, sons, grandchildren, grandparents or husbands and wives.

Are you looking for pieces of jewelry to add some sparkle to your November? For this month, we think you should try out some jewelry with gorgeous November Topaz! Topaz ranges in so many different shades and hues of yellow, from a very light citrus colour to deeper browns. These stones go beautifully with the natural colours of November, and will brighten up your everyday outfits!

Presentation Skills – A Vital Piece of Equipment That You Need Right Now

You have to get a remote control. Really.

This is a small but vital piece of equipment. The number of presentations I have seen where the presenter stays rooted to the spot next to their computer and has to lean forward every time they want to move on to the next slide is shameful.

At the opposite end of the scale are the people who wander around and forget where they are up to and end up dashing across to the computer to click the mouse or keyboard. This is a huge distraction and disrupts the flow of the presentation.

Don’t let your equipment dictate the pace and energy of your presentation.

If your equipment isn’t helping to make things seem smooth and effortless then you only have a few options:

  • Change the equipment
  • Change how you use it
  • Get rid of it.

None of your equipment should interrupt the flow of your presentation.

Get a remote control or presentation mouse (the wireless ones with a little laser pointer built in) and then work out how to use it. I don’t just mean read the instructions. Test the range it works over, the angles it works from, find any blind spots there may be and be aware of them. Make sure it is always charged before a presentation and then use it! Learn how to use it well and practice with it. As regular readers will know, practice makes habit.

Having this piece of equipment in your toolbox makes a huge, if unconscious, impression on your audience. They won’t notice you using it but you can bet they will be distracted if you aren’t!