We’ve done a lot of negotiating at The Speakers Group this year. Wait, for speakers? I thought speakers weren’t supposed to negotiate. Something about fee integrity… Yes, speakers negotiate. The secret’s out.

With meeting budgets slashed, speakers, speakers bureaus and other vendors in the meetings industry have had to adapt to meet clients’ needs. And that’s what we’re here for, right? To meet our clients’ needs? Yep, that’s what we do. Sometimes the negotiation involves money; sometimes it involves services. It always involves increasing value. Creating win-win engagements.

What has negotiation meant to you this year? To your organization? To your meeting attendees?

Negotiation happens. The worst thing you can do is ignore it. The best thing you can do is prepare for it. If you – and your people – need help, look no further than Ed Brodow, author of Negotiation Boot Camp: How To Resolve Conflict, Satisfy Customers, and Make Better Deals, and creator of the number-one customized negotiation skills training seminar in the United States.

Here’s a tip from Ed appearing in today’s Forbes.com article titled “Nine Things You Didn’t Know You Could Negotiate“:

“You can negotiate anything. It’s all about confidence and realizing that nothing is set in stone.”

When companies (such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Seagate and many others) engage Ed to deliver his Negotiation Boot Camp seminar or a related keynote, sellers learn how to create satisfied customers at higher prices, buyers learn how to make better deals with vendors, and executives learn how to resolve conflict. The end result always looks something like this:

“Ed’s programs have received high marks from all our employees who have been participants (sixteen seminars). Everyone who talks to a customer and everyone who talks to a supplier needs to go to this one!” – Baker Hughes

Want to learn more about Ed Brodow and how he could contribute to your next meeting or conference? Contact us at The Speakers Group today and we’ll get you in touch with Ed to help you explore the possibilities.

Posted under Leadership Development, Organizational Excellence, Sales Management

There’s a great new article in the Entrepreneurs section of Forbes.com, titled “The Negotiator’s Playbook,” in which authors Melanie Lindner and Lisa LaMotta shed some light on the science behind the art of negotiation. Among their sources is Ed Brodow, popular conference keynote speaker and author of Negotiation Boot Camp. Ed’s advice for successful negotiation:

“It’s essential that you understand the other negotiator’s pressures… Ask yourself, ‘Why do they need me?’ That’s where your power lies.”

Read the full article at Forbes.com for additional insight from Ed and other authorities on the subject.

And if you’re looking for a dynamic speaker on negotiation for an upcoming meeting or conference, learn more about Ed Brodow’s capabilities by viewing his profile on The Speakers Group’s web site at http://www.thespeakersgroup.com/Ed_Brodow.

Posted under Speaker News