Negotiations Ninja Podcast

Duncan Brock joins us to discuss the activities being undertaken by the UK and the EU as they try and get an exit deal signed. While we're all having a hard time understanding the nuances and complexity of Brexit, Duncan is fully up to speed on how it's affecting the UK's economy, how people work, and the entire supply chain. This is a fascinating conversation on what the future for the UK and the EU looks like post-Brexit. Duncan walks us through the history of Brexit starting from the 2016 referendum through to the current activities surrounding negotiating the deal to exit from the EU. The nuances and complexities of Brexit are further enhanced with the frustrating number of resignations and changes within government, negotiations with other EU leaders, and now the resignation of Prime Minister Teresa May.  What does it all mean going forward? What sectors are being hit hardest? How is stockpiling affecting the supply chain? Is a hard Brexit with no deal a possibility? This is a great conversation about a

Are robots and computers taking our jobs? The speed and pace at which digital procurement and artificial intelligence are moving are incredible. The brilliant Hugo Evans joins us to help sort out all our questions about what’s going on in the artificial intelligence and digital procurement space. How do I use AI? What’s the impact of using AI technology? Will it change my headcount? What are the changes to my strategy required to leverage AI? How will AI improve efficiency?  Outline of This Episode [0:36] Is a computer taking our jobs? [2:23] Hugo Evan’s expertise in digital procurement [4:29] Digital procurement has exploded [6:42] The definition of AI in procurement [14:34] The potential downfalls of AI in negotiation [18:26] High-volume low-complexity sourcing will be automated [31:05] Examples of how machines can benefit you [35:04] The difference between good data and clean data [40:50] Three tools that Hugo recommends implementing Resources & People Mentioned Tealbook Globality Connect With Mark

What are the pros and cons of negotiating in teams? How do we get more out of collaborative team negotiations? What happens when negotiation professionals get so caught up in worrying about what others think of them that they freeze and don’t close with a great ask? Michael shares advice on getting past the fear and delivering on the ask. Michael Leiken—now the Senior Director of Spend Management at LendingTree—created the procurement team at LendingTree from scratch. Michael shares from his 15+ years of experience in sourcing and procurement spanning multiple industries. Don’t miss his take on these two fascinating topics.  Outline of This Episode [2:30] Michael’s background in procurement [3:27] Taking a team approach to negotiation [6:31] How team negotiations boost creativity  [9:48] The downfalls of team-based negotiations [12:27] Overcome the fear of going in with your ask [21:27] STOP complication negotiations unnecessarily  [25:29] 3 ways improve your negotiation skills [28:27] How to connect with Mi

Rendi Miller, the VP of Corporate Services and Source-to-Pay at Zendesk joins us to chat about great customer service. She shares her insights about what it's like to work for a company whose business is literally customer experience and customer service. What customer service and experience insights do you have to develop first with your internal business stakeholders? How can people in procurement specifically improve interfacing with business stakeholders to develop trust and build relationships? This week's podcast is a master class for procurement and sourcing professionals on building your customer experience toolkit. Don’t miss it! Outline of This Episode [1:56] Rendi’s background in procurement [5:36] How can procurement leaders become customer-centric? [8:55] Building internal relationships using technology [16:11] What might hinder relationship building? [19:30] Does procurement have systemic problems with trust? [21:46] Practical ways to distribute the workload [26:00] How to connect with Rendi Mi

Today the truly amazing and inspiring Natasha Gurevich joins us. Natasha is the Vice President of procurement at Salesforce. She discusses her philosophy on leadership, negotiation and internal collaboration. She shares her incredible story of coming from a former Soviet Union country to starting her career in procurement. She discusses the journey she took to becoming the VP of one of the largest tech companies in the world. Natasha shares the successes and challenges of procurement in the fastest growing CRM firm in the world. Salesforce has developed a product with a huge customer following around the globe. However, this growth is not always easy to support with efficient and successful procurement processes. It’s all about balancing the fine line of how to provide transactional support while extending strategic guidance to shareholders while becoming trusted advisors along the way. Connect with Natasha Gurevich LinkedIn Website Episode Sponsor ScoutRFP Connect With Mark Follow Negotiations Ninja on

The wonderful Bernice Lee joins us today for a fascinating conversation about etiquette in Hong Kong. With so many of us traveling to Hong Kong and mainland China for business, understanding the cultural norms and business etiquette of the local area is critical. Bernice shares what to do and what NOT to do.  She helps decipher what conversations are appropriate at the dinner table, what proper greetings are, and the rules around socializing in and out of formal business meetings. Bernice is a graduate of Yale and Cornell who has lived and worked in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and mainland China. She knows what she’s talking about. This is need-to-know information for international negotiators.  Outline of This Episode [3:01] Bernice’s background in business etiquette [4:14] How Hong Kong differs from mainland China [6:20] The proper way to greet someone in Hong Kong [10:46] The concept of saving face in Hong Kong [13:19] The importance of body language in interactions [16:34] The concept of person

This week's solo podcast is for all my sales friends around the world. I get a lot of questions from sales professionals about how to have a successful sales meeting with procurement professionals. You've secured your first sales meeting with a procurement team—now what? What content should you cover? Who's your audience? Are there more stakeholders outside the procurement team? What are the logistics around setting up the meeting? This episode of the Negotiations Ninja podcast delivers the ins and outs of successful sales meetings in seven steps. Outline of This Episode [0:35] Salespeople: Successful Sales meetings [2:35] Step #1: Ask good questions [4:54] Step #2: Stand and implement good posture [6:26] Step #3: Dress appropriately for the industry [7:37] Step #4: Bring snacks to the table [8:42] Step #5: Practice, practice, practice [9:34] Step #6: Be prepared to be derailed [11:03] Step #7: Get your next meeting scheduled Connect With Mark Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod Connect w

Marty Latz joins us to help understand how Donald Trump negotiates. Marty has analyzed more than 100 Trump negotiations and shares dozens of Trump's strategies - highlighting which to use and which to avoid. Regardless of where you stand politically, that one new Trump tactic you gain may make the difference between walking away a winner and leaving empty-handed. What does it all mean for Trump as President? What impact does his tactics have on global negotiations and the U.S.'s position on the world stage? ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

Why is listening a vanishing art and hard to do effectively when it’s really so simple? When was the last time you viewed listening as a skill that can be taught, developed, and nurtured over time? In today’s hyper-connected, digital age of chaos, conflict, and confusion, we are more connected than ever to other people. But are we also on the brink of an epidemic of loneliness? Dan Oblinger—the author of Life or Death Listening: A Hostage Negotiator’s How-to-Guide to Mastering the Essential Communication Skill—joins us to talk about authentic listening. Dan delivers the toolkit we’re searching for—don’t miss this episode.  Outline of This Episode [4:10] Dan Oblinger’s background [5:40] Why are we starved of genuine listening? [7:59] The difference between hearing and listening  [9:55] Why does listening fade and die in our relationships? [14:31] Listen to people because of what they are—not who they are [22:00] How to develop mastery of listening [24:38] How to come to terms with a bruised ego [26:26] Dan’s

I’m really excited to have Siddharth (Sid) Ramesh on this week’s show. Sid is the manager of strategic sourcing in the technology space at VSP Global, where he’s been for 5 years. His career is on a meteoric rise. He’s been nominated for a SIG Future of Sourcing Rising Star Award and he’s a trusted source for everything related to procurement. In addition to being super smart he’s really nice—definitely one of the good guys.  Sid talks about supplier negotiations in the technology space including the myth about having to be the tough guy. He shares insights on the unequivocal need for planning and having the confidence to appreciate the need for continuous learning and training. My prediction is that Siddharth Ramesh is going to be the next big thing when it comes to procurement and sourcing. Outline of This Episode [2:06] Sid’s background in procurement [6:03] Training with Negotiations Ninja [8:14] Supplier negotiations in the technology space [10:14] How to prepare for difficult negotiations [12:18] The N

Negotiation is a psychological game between individuals. To play it effectively, you have to know the rules of the game. So what role does trust play in the big game? Keld Jensen, an internationally recognized author and adviser on behavioral economics and decision making, joins us to discuss the big topic of trust. Why is trust required in negotiations? How do we develop trust? What are the essential components within trust that we need to be aware of? This is for anyone who negotiates in work or in life! ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

This week David Lax, co-author of 3-D Negotiation joins us. Often negotiators get stuck in the win-win or win-lose debate and focus on face-to-face tactics (the first and second dimensions). What sets the 3-D approach apart is its "third dimension". Before showing up at a negotiation, 3-D experts ensure that the right parties have been engaged, in the right sequence, to address the right interests, under the right expectations, and facing the right consequences of walking away if there is no deal. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

We've got an amazing episode with Gary Noesner. Gary was the FBI's first Chief Negotiator and discusses his fascinating memoir Stalling For Time. Gary takes readers on a tour through some of America's most famous hostage crises including the Montana Freemen standoff, and the D.C. sniper attacks. Gary was on the front lines of Waco and is portrayed by Michael Shannon in the miniseries Waco. He offers a candid look back at his years as an innovator and a pioneer on the front lines. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

Brexit. The USCMA. Tariffs. The world's most powerful trading partners. We're chatting about international trade with none other than the great Hampton Dowling. He supports businesses, organizations, and politicians with an insider's view as they navigate their way through large, complex international trade deals. We're chatting about when trade and politics collide, separating people from the problem, business leaders influencing trade, and what any negotiator is willing to give up. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

You're in a situation that's looking like it's quickly turning into a crisis situation. What do you do? You're in a situation where someone might harm themselves or someone else. What does it take to control and resolve the crisis? Scott Tillema, a police negotiator shares the steps you can take to control of the situation. Scott talks about mental health and what you can do for your loved ones who may be struggling. These are long overdue conversations that we're starting to talk about more and more. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

This week we're focusing on entrepreneurial negotiation and why entrepreneurs should care about developing negotiation skills. Author, speaker and teacher Samuel Dinnar joins us to discuss the eight common mistakes entrepreneurs make when they focus on scale and growth while neglecting developing their negotiation skills. How can entrepreneurs manage the relationships that determine their business's success? ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

We're getting political at Negotiations Ninja as Dr. Joshua Weiss, a conflict resolution expert and Senior Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Project joins us. Dr. Weiss talks about the current situation in Washington and tensions between Democrats and Republicans. Is it really as messy as it seems from the outside? What are some tactics both parties can employ to diffuse a potential political war as one shutdown ends with a potential state of emergency looming ahead? ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

Matt Dixon, Chief Product & Research Officer at Tethr and noted business writer and speaker, returns to the Negotiations Ninja podcast to discuss the science of negotiation - specifically artificial intelligence. How does artificial intelligence impact negotiations, specifically in sales and customer service and the conversational jobs that require human interaction? Can artificial intelligence take on what we believe only humans can do? ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

Annie Duke, a World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant talks about decision quality and improving it by embracing uncertainty. By understanding what drives your decision making framework and shifting our thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know (and what you don't) you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast

Larry Susskind, MIT professor and co-founder of the Program on Negotiation joins us to talk about his book Good for You, Great for Me. We're talking about how to negotiate against the 900-pound gorilla; the organization that seemingly has all the leverage in negotiations because of its size. Larry discusses the “the trading zone”— the space where you can create deals that are “good for them but great for you” while maintaining trust. ALL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS AT: negotiations.ninja/podcast