Successful Negotiation Stories

I've closed 7-figure deals with just 3 words. And no, they’re not what you think.   I’ll never forget the day it all clicked.     I was sitting in a boardroom, trying to close a high-stakes deal.     We’d been negotiating for hours, going in circles. Every offer I made was shot down.     It was frustrating.     Until I asked one simple question:     "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵?"   Suddenly, the energy in the room shifted.     The CEO paused, leaned back, and said:     “𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳.”     That’s all I needed to know.     I restructured the proposal, focused on their deadline, and within 48 hours, the deal was signed—for $1.5 million.     Here’s why those three words are so powerful:     1️⃣ They disarm people.   - Negotiations often feel like a battle.   - This question flips the dynamic, showing empathy and interest.     2️⃣ They uncover hidden priorities.   - What someone says they want isn’t always what they 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 need.   - This question helps you see past the surface.     3️⃣ They build instant trust.   - People respond when they feel heard.   - These words tell them: “𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢.”     Since that moment, I’ve used this question in every negotiation.     Whether it’s closing seven-figure deals or resolving disagreements at home (yes, it works on kids too), these three words have been a game-changer.     And the best part?     It works for everyone—from CEOs to entrepreneurs to team leaders.     Try this:   The next time you’re negotiating—whether it’s for a contract, a raise, or even who’s doing the dishes—ask:     "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵?"   Then listen.     I promise, the results will surprise you.     Have you ever used a simple question to transform a conversation? I’d love to hear it—drop it in the comments below!  ------------------------------- Hi, I’m Scott Harrison and I help executive and leaders master negotiation & communication in high-pressure, high-stakes situations.  - ICF Coach and EQ-i Practitioner - 24 yrs | 19 countries | 150+ clients   - Negotiation | Conflict resolution | Closing deals 📩 DM me or book a discovery call (link in the Featured section)

As a cyber forensics and threat analysis expert, I’ve successfully negotiated with over 50 threat actors, achieving a 95% success rate as part of my incident response plan for Clients. Today was the 50th successful matter. Each encounter has been a masterclass in understanding human behavior, technology, and risk management. Here are my top learnings from these negotiations: 1. Patience under pressure: Staying composed is essential for strategic decision-making. 2. Clear and concise communication: Building trust through precise dialogue is key. 3. Understanding motives: Tailor your approach to the unique motivations of each actor. 4. Time sensitivity: Act swiftly but carefully—balance speed with thoroughness. 5. Adaptability: Always be ready to pivot strategies based on real-time intel. 6. Meticulous documentation: Every step needs recording for legal, analytical, and operational review. 7. Ethical boundaries: Safeguarding sensitive information and following legal guidelines is paramount. 8. Team collaboration: Bringing together legal, technical, and leadership teams leads to the best outcomes. 9. Constant evolution: Cyber threats evolve rapidly—so should our strategies. 10. Learning from every incident: Each case strengthens our response capabilities for future threats. The evolving cyber landscape demands continuous learning and proactive measures. Let’s stay ahead of the curve. #CyberSecurity #IncidentResponse #ThreatNegotiation #DigitalForensics #CyberForensics

Meet the four horsemen of negotiation apocalypse  This real-life meltdown shows how to defuse them. A true story from the field: A major steel client got hit with an ultimatum. The Union threatened to shut down their high oven within 24 hours unless demands were met. No backup. No contingency plan. Management was cornered. Under extreme pressure, they gave in—suffering massive financial losses. But here’s the truth: ❌ Negotiation crises aren’t random ✅ They’re predictable They follow a pattern I call: The Meltdown Scenario Built from 4 explosive elements: 1️⃣ Little Time The union gave 24 hours. Panic hijacked decision-making. 2️⃣ High Stakes A shutdown would mean millions lost. Fear drove desperation. 3️⃣ Uncertainty Was the union bluffing? No one knew. Judgment got clouded. 4️⃣ Few Options No operators. No legal levers. Just: give in or go down. Fast-forward 3 years: same players, completely different outcome This time, they: ✅ Gained Time – prepped 6 months early ✅ Reduced Stakes – trained backups ✅ Clarified Uncertainty – had legal and logistical scenarios in place ✅ Multiplied Options – created tradeoffs and expanded the ZOPA Result? The union’s leverage vanished. Management negotiated from strength, not fear. Takeaway: Before your next critical negotiation, reverse the four triggers: • Time pressure • High stakes • Uncertainty • Limited options Even small moves—like adding strategic pauses or preparing multiple offers—can turn a meltdown into a breakthrough. Now it’s your turn: 👉 What’s your go-to strategy to defuse negotiation crises? Drop it in the comments. Let’s learn from each other. ♻️ And if this helped you, please repost; someone out there needs this today. 

Last month, I had the opportunity to witness a negotiation between an investor and a startup entrepreneur. The founder's approach was outstanding providing great insights These are the things i noticed - very helpful if you know your game 1.Preparation: The founder's success was dependent on thorough preparation. They dug deep to grasp the investor's interests, industry trends, and potential issues. This comprehensive preparation enabled the founder to approach discussions with a clear understanding of the situation, instilling confidence and adaptability. 2. Exploring Creative Solutions: Rather than approaching negotiations as a set of inflexible demands, the founder adopted a collaborative perspective. They actively sought novel solutions that would satisfy both sides, fostering a bargaining environment that promoted mutual growth. This strategy not only demonstrated adaptability, but it also laid the groundwork for a strong, ongoing partnership. 3. Active Listening and Adaptability: During the negotiation, the entrepreneur demonstrated active listening abilities. They absorbed the investor's ideas, adjusting their plan in real-time to address concerns and capitalise on opportunities. This dynamic reactivity not only promoted good communication, but also exhibited a dedication to understanding and addressing the investor's needs. 4.Building Long-Term Relationships: The founder's goal went beyond a particular discussion. They intentionally positioned the talk as the cornerstone for a long-term relationship, underlining common goals and benefits. This forward-thinking approach impressed the investor, laying the framework for trust and partnership. Incorporating these aspects into your negotiation toolset can improve your approach and lead to successful relationships. And In case you are wondering, the startup founder was able to crack a good deal. #NegotiationMastery #BusinessStrategy #EntrepreneurInsights Kansaltancy Ventures

I saw 45 people lose jobs overnight because a CEO threw a tantrum. Here’s how it went down: A few years back, a client of mine was in London in a high-stakes renegotiation with a multi-billion dollar manufacturer. The other side questioned the CEO’s projections and challenged his numbers in front of his team. Without thinking, he says: "Pack it up. We're done. We’re moving everything to Singapore." $45 million in contracts were liquidated overnight (for the second time in 6 years). 45 manufacturing jobs were eliminated, and an entire supply chain was disrupted. All because this dude’s ego got bruised. This is why I stress: We’re negotiating with PEOPLE, not companies. People with mortgages, kids in college, and retirement plans tied to stock performance. And if you let emotion drive decisions, these real people will pay the price. But here’s the craziest thing about how this CEO cost shareholders millions and destroyed entire careers overnight: The other side was just doing due diligence.  No more, no less. This is why ego doesn’t belong in negotiations. Once you reach a certain level, high-stakes means way more than just ‘capital’.

STUDENT SUCCESS STORY YOU CAN USE: HOW TO WIN AT THE UNITED NATIONS.   Imagine being thrown into high-stakes global negotiations—with almost no experience. What would you do? And how can the answer help you in your tough talks today? Hi, I’m Professor Seth Freeman. True story. One of my students—let’s call her Sheila—was working at her country’s UN consulate when she got a major assignment: representing her nation in key talks on women’s rights—with 100 other countries. The problem? She had almost no diplomatic experience. And this wasn’t a Model UN. This was the real UN. To her surprise, Sheila did brilliantly. She soon became so effective that four other countries asked her to represent them, too. Result? She won major changes to the document’s language—revisions her government and others had longed for for years but had failed to win. Her fellow diplomats were so thrilled they actually danced and cried. They asked: Sheila, how did you do it? A key? Negotiation training. Sheila applied two key techniques that made a big difference: *First, Creative Bargaining: She knew her key priorities and traded low-priority language for high-priority language. A major win. *Second, a dialogue tool called Paraphrase, Praise, Probe: At a critical moment, when a bloc of countries seemed unmovable, she actively listened, showed she appreciated their concerns, then asked key questions. Then she tested options: "What about this? That? Oh, so you don’t care about this, just that? Got it. How about this? By ensuring they felt heard, understood, and respected, and offering options, she helped lower their guard, understand, and turn a deadlock into a breakthrough. Lesson: Even in high-stakes diplomacy, training to use negotiation tools can help you win. Try these techniques in your next tough conversation—whether it’s at work, at home, or anywhere you need to get results. And if you want to really sharpen your negotiation skills, like Sheila, consider getting good negotiation training. How have negotiation tools and training helped you thrive in situations where it seemed improbable? Let me know in the comments. #negotiation #training #diplomacy #persuasion ELIJAH STOVER Julia Stanzenberger Jessica Tomasella Jonathan Grady Roi Ben-Yehuda

Understanding this counterintuitive fact about negotiation has saved me £££s [It's not what you may think] Negotiation is not about haggling. It's not about winning. And it's certainly not about the price. Proper negotiation is about understanding the person across the table. Here's why: 1. People don't buy products or services. They buy solutions to their problems. 2. Every decision is emotional first and rational second. 3. Behind every 'no' is an unmet need waiting to be discovered. For years, I thought negotiation was a battle of wits, a game of who could outlast whom. I was wrong. The breakthrough came when I started asking different questions: • What keeps this person up at night? • What are they terrified of? • What do they dream about? Suddenly, negotiations transformed. They became conversations, explorations, and even collaborations. Here's how to shift your approach: 1. Listen more than you speak. Truly listen, not just wait for your turn to talk. 2. Ask 'why' questions. Dig more profound than the surface-level objections. 3. Identify the underlying emotions. Fear? Ambition? Insecurity? Address these, not just the logical arguments. 4. Find common ground. Shared experiences or values can bridge seemingly impossible gaps. 5. Be willing to walk away. Paradoxically, this often leads to better outcomes for both parties. Remember, the person across the table isn't your enemy. They're a potential ally with their hopes, fears, and motivations. Understanding a person, and the price often takes care of itself. So, in your next negotiation, resist the urge to jump straight to numbers. Instead, lean in, listen deeply, and seek to understand. You might find that what you thought was a negotiation turns into something far more valuable: a relationship. #negotiation #businessrelationships #emotionalintelligence #salesstrategy

#Negotiation Tip Number 4: Gather and Leverage the Data.   In his book “Moneyball,” Michael Lewis quotes John Henry, renowned investment manager and owner of the Boston Red Sox, in reference to a comparison between professional baseball and the financial markets, “People in both fields operate with beliefs and biases. To the extent you can eliminate both and replace them with data, you gain a clear advantage.” Since that book was published, data analytics has become a vital part of how almost every major professional sports team makes decisions. Data is equally important in commercial real estate negotiations. Most CRE professionals realize the importance of obtaining data, but few understand how to fully use it to achieve a successful outcome. In a negotiation while representing a buyer of a low-rise office building in a submarket with dozens of similar-sized office buildings, my team cherry-picked comparable sales and sent them to the seller’s representative, making a case for a purchase price around $90 per square foot. On the contrary, the seller’s representative made the case that the purchase price should be closer to $100 per square foot — submitting their own version of comparable sales as justification. At this point, our team was certainly tempted to accept the invitation from the seller’s broker to play the high-low game. Instead, we evaluated the seller’s comp set to determine how we could either work toward bridging the gap or defend our original position all while trying to achieve our client’s goals. As we dissected both data sets, we were able to see that many of the seller’s comparable sales had already been renovated, while the property being bought still needed cosmetic renovation. That was telling from a qualitative analysis, but the most convincing case came when we put both sets of sales comps on a line graph to show the trend in sale price per square foot over time. This line graph was very helpful for both the buyer and the seller to understand the current value of the property as the next data point in a trendline. Ultimately, they agreed on a purchase price that equated to $87 per square foot. Both sides had data, but it wasn’t until it was dissected and brought to life that anyone truly understood how it brought relevance to the negotiation. #CapitalMarkets, #InvestmentSales, #CRE, #CommercialRealEstate

PM is a game of talking people into things. Negotiation? That is where real influence happens. For myself, one moment of intense negotiation stands out. The buyer was furious; convinced that our change order should’ve been included from the start. Our team, the seller was standing firm because the project was severely underestimated. Neither side was budging. Then came the call... This stakeholder was so heated, they pulled their car over to let me have it on the phone. All the unmentionable names were used. But, I didn’t flinch. Because crisis revels character. Here’s how I won that deal: ⚡ Reframed the issue: Didn't fight about the change order, I focused on success for the end user. ⚡ Listened to what wasn’t being said: Their anger wasn’t over the change; it was about feeling blindsided. ⚡ Controlled the tempo: Silence is a weapon. When they raged, I let the pause work. When I spoke, I led towards a solution. ⚡ Built a win they could accept: Not by conceding, but by making sure they felt like they walked away with a victory too. In the end the deal was saved and the project moved forward. The people who were shouting my name were now signing off on our terms. Negotiation isn’t about overpowering. It’s about positioning. PMs negotiate every day. Check out the carousel for top PM negotiation strategies!

The Deal That Almost Didn’t Happen 💡 “Negotiation is not about winning—it’s about making others WANT to work with you.” I was asked to share life examples and my thoughts on my approach of finding the best opportunities for finalizing the deals. So will share the series of posts 😇 showing my way of thinking and doing business. Some years ago, I was structuring a financing deal that seemed impossible at first. We needed funding, but the bank wasn’t fully convinced. The terms were too rigid, the collateral requirements were too high, and it felt like we were stuck. But instead of pushing aggressively, I did something different: I gave them the bigger picture. I showed them: ✅ How this project would open doors to larger, long-term collaborations. ✅ Why supporting us now would bring them high-value business in the future. ✅ What other opportunities could come from a strong partnership. 🎯 Result? Not only did they adjust their offer, but they also became a long-term financial partner for multiple projects. 🔑 Lesson: The best negotiations don’t happen through pressure. They happen when you align your interests with theirs and create a win-win scenario. 👉 Have you ever turned around a deal that seemed impossible? Share your experience below! #Finance #Negotiation #BusinessGrowth #imean.io