Planning in negotiation is a crucial element that we may often forget the importance of. Today’s guest—Paul Watts—believes planning is THE single most important element of a negotiation. He notes that 80% of success comes from extensive planning. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Paul and I talk about negotiation through the lens of a salesperson, the cost of inaction, and techniques to improve your negotiation skills.

Paul Watts is a Sales Performance Coach with Base Over Apex and host of the ‘Sales Reinvented’ podcast. His mission is to change the negative perception of salespeople and make selling a profession to be proud of. His goal is to help sales professionals be more effective to be able to live life on their own terms. Listen to this episode for a deep-dive into negotiation from the perspective of someone who’s been in sales for over 20 years.

Outline of This Episode

[3:19] Paul Watt’s background in sales and podcasting
[4:51] Planning is the most important element of negotiation
[7:36] Present the cost of inaction and the return on investment
[11:11] The best way to improve your negotiation skills
[14:37] A negotiation techniques Paul employs regularly
[20:11] Role models and styles Paul embraces
[21:51] What happens when a negotiation goes downhill
[29:49] Paul advises to embrace a learning mindset

Resources & People Mentioned

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Figure out what you need to accomplish your goal - Episode 9