Start Your Own Business (38 page)

Read Start Your Own Business Online

Authors: Inc The Staff of Entrepreneur Media

BOOK: Start Your Own Business
5.27Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
THE GOLDEN RULE
 
“You can never get a bargain on something you really, really want.”
 
I
n any negotiation, the side that needs the deal more is the side that gives up the most—precisely because they need the deal and can’t afford to have the other side walk away from the table.
 
 
Winning the most points in a negotiation is almost always a function of: 1) not needing the deal as much as the other side does, 2) convincing the other side they need the deal more than you do, or 3) a combination of 1 and 2.
 
Nervous about negotiating? Here’s a great way to practice. Go to collectibles shows and look for items you don’t feel strongly about—you can take them or leave them. When you find one, approach the dealer and offer him 50 percent of the asking price. He’ll almost certainly refuse your offer—sometimes nicely, sometimes by pretending to be offended—but don’t worry about it. You don’t really want the item, and you know he paid less than 50 percent of the tag price. Thank him politely, tell him you really couldn’t justify paying more than 60 percent of the price, and move to the next booth.
 
Then, return to the dealer in the late afternoon and ask politely if he has reconsidered your offer. If the item hasn’t sold by then, the dealer is concerned about having to lug the thing back to his showroom and will be in a better bargaining mood. Stay firm. Remember the goal isn’t to add to your antiques collection, but to practice your negotiating skills. Make it a point to say no to whatever counteroffer he proposes, and walk away.
 
Do not
try this if you see an item you really want—your body language will inevitably tip your hand to “the dealer,” and he will turn the tables on you by saying something like “I’m sorry, but I’m only making a 10 percent profit at this price.” At this point the negotiation is over—you’re reaching for your wallet, and you’ll pay the dealer’s price.
What Do You Want?
 
Now that you’re psychologically ready to sit down at the bargaining table, it’s time to figure out what you need to get out of the deal.
Sit down with a sheet of paper, fold it down the middle, and label each half “deal points” and “trading points.” Then list all the points you need to reach agreement on. Deal points are those you must win—if you can’t get those, you walk from the table and look for another deal. For example, if you paid $1,000 for a painting and need to get a 20 percent return on your inventory to stay afloat, getting a purchase price of at least $1,200 is one of your deal points.
 
WARNING
 
Don’t agree to give up something without asking for anything else in return—a “gratuitous concession.” You may think you’re being generous, nice or respectful to the other party, but it’s seldom perceived that way. Rather, the other side sees it as a sign of weakness and an invitation to press for bigger, more damaging concessions.
Any point that isn’t a deal point is a trading point—nice if you can get it, but you can live without it if you sense it’s a deal point for the other person. In a negotiation, your goal is to get all your deal points and as many of your trading points as possible, recognizing that often you’ll have to yield one or more trading points to get your deal points.
Be realistic when identifying your deal points. A lot of things you negotiate for aren’t really life or death for your business. If you aren’t sure if you really need something or not, it’s a trading point.
The Negotiation Process
 
There are three basic steps in any negotiation—sometimes they happen in order, sometimes not.
•
Step one: State your position.
At the beginning of a negotiation, each side lays out its position and tells the other side what it needs. As soon as it’s apparent the two sides agree on something, that point is taken off the table so the parties can focus on the issues where they disagree.
•
Step two: Search for win-win compromises.
Sometimes when a negotiator asks for something, what he or she really needs is a lot narrower. By probing the other side, you can often find a way to give them what they really need without giving them everything they’re asking for. Here’s an example: The other side wants you to promise you won’t compete with them anywhere in the State of X for five years. By asking probing questions, you learn that the other side doesn’t plan to do business outside of Town Y. You agree not to compete with the other side in Town Y for five years, and keep your options open for the rest of the state.
•
Step three: Do a little “horse trading.”
Sooner or later, in every negotiation you get to a point where further compromise is impossible. For a deal to happen at this point, both sides have to engage in a little “horse trading.” You look at the list of three open points, realize that only one of them is a deal point, and offer to give on the other two points to get the one you need. If the other side agrees (one or both of the two points you gave them were deal points for them), you make the deal. If the other side refuses (your deal point was also their deal point), the negotiation’s over—and so is the deal.
 
TIP
 
When sizing up your negotiating points, the ones that will take cash out of your pocket if you give them away are probably deal points, the ones that won’t are likely trading points.
Everything Is Negotiable
 
When you first start negotiating, it’s hard to separate deal points from trading points—everything seems important. Experienced negotiators know something you don’t—everything is a trading point. Nothing is non-negotiable. If you need the deal badly enough, you can give up some deal points and still survive to negotiate another day. As any lawyer will tell you, you know a deal’s been well-negotiated when both sides walk away from the table feeling at least somewhat disappointed in the outcome.
Sales Contract Negotiating Points
 
Do you think the only thing to negotiate in a sales contract is the purchase price? Think again. Here are some noncash terms you can negotiate.
• The number of goods to be sold
• The condition of the goods at the time of delivery
• Return privileges and/or credits for goods delivered in defective condition
• Rebates for goods that aren’t sold within a specified time period
• Shipping and delivery dates
• Method of shipping (UPS vs. FedEx, for example)
• Method of payment (money order vs. credit card, for example)
• Currency of payment (for international sales)
• Whether discounts will be offered for volume or bulk purchases
• The timing of payment (cash upfront vs. installment payments)
• The interest rate to be paid on any deferred portion of the purchase price
• The penalty rate of interest to be paid if any portion of the purchase price isn’t paid on time
• Whether the seller will have a lien on the goods until the purchase price is paid
• Whether the buyer’s principals will guarantee payment of the purchase price if the buyer defaults
• Whether the seller or buyer will pay sales and/or transfer taxes
• Whether the seller or buyer will insure the goods while in transit
• When title to the goods transfers from seller to buyer
• Whether or not the seller will “warrant” title or condition to the goods
• The sale closing date
• Whether the seller will assume responsibility for the products’ liability and other legal claims if the goods turn out to be defective
• Whether the seller will provide the buyer with advertising and promotional materials to assist in the resale of goods
• If a broker was involved, who will pay his/her commission?
 
chapter 17
 
SITE SEEKING
 
Choosing a Location for Your Business
 
 
 
 
 
W
here should you locate your business? One expert will tell you location is absolutely vital to your company’s success; another will argue that it really doesn’t matter where you are—and they’re both right. How important location is for your new company depends on the type of business and the facilities and other resources you need, and where your customers are.
If you’re in retailing, or if you manufacture a product and distribution is a critical element of your overall operation, then geographic location is extremely important. If your business is information- or servicerelated, the actual location takes a back seat to whether the facility itself can meet your needs.
Regardless of the nature of your business, before you start shopping for space, you need to have a clear picture of what you must have, what you’d like to have, what you absolutely won’t tolerate and how much you’re able to pay. Developing that picture can be a time-consuming process that is both exciting and tedious, but it’s essential that you give it the attention it deserves. While many startup mistakes can be corrected later on, a poor choice of location is difficult—and sometimes impossible—to repair.
 
AHA!
 
If you’re in a technologyrelated business, choose a location near a university that can help you with research, provide a resource for further education for your staff, and serve as a breeding ground for future employees.

Other books

Too Great a Temptation by Alexandra Benedict
Barlaam and Josaphat: A Christian Tale of the Buddha by Gui de Cambrai, Peggy McCracken
Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
Little Red Lies by Julie Johnston
The Geneva Project - Truth by Christina Benjamin
The Kind One by Tom Epperson