Negotiation Tips No. 76 Radius of Credibility The use of markers always represents a difficult issue in a negotiation. On a starter course we teach not to put down markers until you have to. On more advanced programmes we teach how to put markers down more skilfully. The easiest way to remember how to do this is to use the principle of the radius of credibility. A marker should be put down far enough away to be stretching for the other party and it should represent your most ambitious target. If you put it down too far away youll look as if you dont understand the market and are unprofessional. Your marker will lack credibility and that may even reflect on you personally. So…be ambitious, go for the Wow!! but dont get carried away and ask for the moon (and the stars and sun!). © Tom Beasor 2001

Sales Tips No. 56 Its a foggy day On my negotiation programmes I teach the use of the fog tactic. This is the means by which a seller ensures that the buyer cannot benchmark their product or service against the opposition because it is so clearly differentiated. Youve only got to look at the way household insurance is sold to know that its almost impossible to compare policies. This is in fact not a dirty trick or a manipulation. I would say to all sellers that you should always be trying to maintain a great deal of difference between your products and those of the opposition. If you know what the other people offer then you should ensure that your product is different and has a more appealing value proposition with a greater range of benefits. Whether the buyer can compare you with the competition is really not your problem. If they cant then youve obviously done a good job. © Tom Beasor 2001

Management Tips No 5 The first rule of Project Management There is no doubt that the first rule of project management is: Who do we blame if it all goes wrong? Clearly getting the blame properly allocated before the project starts then frees up the participants to perform to their best! I met a manager recently who said to me that her people never had to ask permission to do anything and they never had to apologise if it went wrong. She believed that there would never be a second similar mistake as they would have clearly learnt from their first mistake. She didnt blame them for trying to use their initiative provided that they could prove that they had acted thoughtfully, professionally and in good faith. She was a good coach. Are you? © Tom Beasor 2001