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Know When You’re Playing A Long Versus Short Game

“The less you leave to chance, the less chance will be the source that leads you.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

He gently stroked her hand as she was transitioning from this world to someplace more worldly. As he did, he gently whispered to no one in particular, “had I known you were going to be such a pivotal force in my life, I would have treated you differently.”

In your dealings with people, do you play a long or short game (i.e. develop long-term or short-term strategies)?

To a degree, that’s a trick question. Yes, you should have strategies developed based on what you’re attempting to achieve in a relationship, and those strategies will be based on the person that you’re involved with. That means you’ll develop strategies for family members and others that are close to you that are different from those that do not fall into that category.

You may not be aware of the degree that you’re implementing strategies when dealing with people, but nevertheless, you are implementing strategies. Even if it’s just at a subconscious level, you engage with others based on the benefits derived from doing so. If you raise your sense of awareness, related to the short-term gains/opportunities you seek from such engagements, you can gain greater control of yourself and those interactions for the long-term.

When you’re mindful of what you want from a relationship, you become more aware of what you need to do to enhance it. That should trigger the degree of willingness you put forth to engage in actions that promote what’s required for that enhancement.

With a heightened sense of awareness, per the value you associate with any relationship, you gain greater control of where the relationship goes. So, no matter where you are in a relationship, reflect on what you want from it, what you’re willing to change about it, and where such changes might lead. In making such assessments, you’ll find paths to longer, more satisfying relationships … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

If you’ve followed my articles, you’re aware that my motto is, “you’re always negotiating.” That means, what you do today impacts tomorrow’s outcomes. When it comes to playing a long or short game in a negotiation, your strategies might tend to be more to the point in a short-term undertaking, while the opposite will more likely be the case if the negotiation will be protracted. Thus, one strategy you may adopt in future negotiations, especially if you’re not sure where it might lead in the future, is to treat a short-term engagement as though it was long-term. Doing so may disclose unforeseen benefits.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

What are your thoughts? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#LongGame #ShortGame #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

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Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Know When Good Enough Is Good Enough

“To avoid ‘good enough’ from being supplanted by sorrow. Know where ‘good enough’ resides, in relationship to despair.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“I hit the mark!” “No, you didn’t hit the mark!” “Well, we won! So, I hit enough of it and that was good enough!”

That was a snippet of a conversation held between two associates. In essence, they were discussing to what degree they’d accomplished their goal, versus if they accomplished enough of it to consider the outcome a win.

In everyday life, our mind is bombarded with hordes of information; a lot of that is sheltered from our state of consciousness to protect us from information overload. One way to be more productive, while also maintaining a more even-keeled life, is to know when good enough is good enough.

When it comes to outcomes sought, we must always be mindful of the law of diminishing returns. That law states, at some point the degree of effort you put into maximizing the acquisition of a goal or opportunity, that effort becomes diminished per the time and resources you put forth to do so. Thus, in order to maximize the time and effort you put into achieving a goal or opportunity, you should set parameters that indicate your proximity to a point of diminishing return. To do otherwise could mean that you lose a degree of productivity, along with a mental, more peaceful state of mind. The latter will lead to more stress in your life, which could lead you into a vicious downward spiraling stream.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

To win more negotiations, you have to know when ‘good enough’ is good enough. Don’t become overly transfixed on squeezing every little bit of gain out of a negotiation. Doing that could lead to the forfeit of some of the gains you’ve achieved.

As in everyday life, in a negotiation, set parameters that indicate when you’ve reached a ‘good enough’ point. In a negotiation that indicator can be enacted by bracketing your expected outcome (e.g. high point, mid-point, low point).

If you find yourself transitioning from the mid-point of your expected outcome into the high point, that’s the time to become more aware of what’s occurring in the negotiation (i.e. noting the demeanor of the other negotiator and the temperature of the negotiation). Taking those factors into consideration when assessing to what degree you should move forward will allow you to make such a judgment without the evaluation process that might otherwise be required.

If you use these thoughts to capture the essence of the outcome you seek to achieve in your negotiations, you’ll keep more of the gains you acquire … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember you’re always negotiating! 

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#GoodEnough #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

You Can Have More Control Than You Realize

“To have greater control in your life, start by controlling what you control in your life.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

That was what she said with passionate sincerity as soon as he answered the phone. Her cell phone battery had died, right at the time when she and her friend were supposed to be deciding where they were going to meet. Both had been driving to meet each other at an undetermined destination. She knew he’d be upset because she knew the demeanor he’d displayed in similar situations in the past.

By saying “I’m sorry” numerous times, as soon as her battery had enough power to call him, she defused a situation that could have quickly gotten out of control. That was also the way she controlled that situation.

What do you do to defuse and control situations before they get out of control? You can have greater control in any situation by first making a genuine effort to connect with someone. You can do this by displaying heartfelt empathy for the plight that the person is experiencing; this should be done in a manner that allows him to sense that your actions are sincere. To the degree that you can suspend negative prejudgments that might afflict your thoughts about the person related to past encounters (e.g. he’s going to be enraged with me, so I’d better adopt a posture that says don’t push me too far), you can stay ‘in the moment’ and foster a mindset that’s less fraught with despair. That will allow you to be perceived as being more empathetic.

My motto is, “You’re always negotiating!” That means, what you do today influences tomorrow’s outcome. Thus, a person’s actions today gives insights into how he might react to situations tomorrow. The woman mentioned in this story knew how her friend would react to not being able to reach her. Thus, she was able to control him by stating so profusely how sorry she was.

If you become more mindful of the actions you engage in with others, you too can shape their future actions/reactions. That means you’ll have greater control of your life’s activities … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

When negotiating, like a game of chess, you have to be aware of how your opponent will respond to moves you make. Being aware, based on past experiences about that person’s actions, allows you to predict with more certainty how he’ll respond in different situations, which will give you greater control throughout the negotiation. That in turn, allows you to make the moves (i.e. offers/counteroffers) that will progress the negotiation in the manner that suits your negotiation plans. That also means, your negotiation efforts will net greater outcomes for you.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Are You Afraid Of Achieving More In Your Life?

“Greater achievement starts with the right mindset. To acquire the right mindset, build on your past achievements.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Do you lack the confidence to become bigger, better? If so, do you really know what’s holding you back? The answer is, you!

Some people are so comfortable in their life, they forget to grow. They forget, the same attitude that allowed them to grow is the same attitude they can build on to continue that growth. Do you remember that attitude, what that mindset was, for you?

As long as you’re alive, you should continuously explore the outer reaches of your grasp. That’s the way that you continue to grow.

Don’t let your current lack of drive be the inertia that prevents you from moving to higher levels. You’ll only climb as high as you think you can go, and you’ll never know how high that is until you attempt to go higher.

So, when it comes to moving higher, move higher. First, start the process in your mind. Then, put your thoughts into action. You may not succeed to the degree that you thought you would, but you’ll no longer be where you were before you started your ascension. Note any progress as progress made, no matter how slight it might be. That progress will combat the inertia that previously occupied your thought process, which means you’ll be clearer in the future for higher takeoffs … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

In a negotiation, if you play it ‘too safe’, you could dampen the gains that you would have otherwise realized. Plus, you’ll display to the other negotiator your pallet for risk. Displaying that will allow him to calibrate the offers he can make, based on the degree of risk adversity you display. Depending on the value of what you’re negotiating, such a move could make you negotiate against yourself (e.g. Other negotiator: This is the last one and I have someone else that’s interested in it. You: I’ll take it!)

When it comes to exploring higher possibilities, be an explorer. Even if you have to bluff yourself into believing that you can obtain more, do so with vigor. Make your belief believable to yourself and your negotiation colleague. He, in turn, may see you in a new light, one in which he grants you more respect and more concessions.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #Fear #leadership #HowToImproveYourself #Achievement