2018 Never a Dull Moment
As 2019 is just around the corner, it is worth taking a look at 2018 and what has happened at bridge][ability. Here are some of the highlights:
Author: Dan Hughes
He has specialised in negotiation consulting since 2005, and set up his own business in 2012 bringing this expertise to businesses small and large in all parts of the world. This company - bridge][ability ltd - runs behavioural and strategic planning negotiation skills programs which transform capabilities and has a client list which includes Tesco, The FA, Fujitsu, Capita, Reiss, Take 2 Interactive (the company behind Grand Theft Auto), BBC Worldwide and Channel 4. https://www.bridge-ability.com/Home/Client-List
The $300 Million Slam Dunk
You may not have heard of Ozzie and Daniel Silna, brothers who made their fortune in the textile industry in New York in the 1960s and 70s, but this story of negotiation is a great one, and there are plenty of lessons to take from it.
By 2014 the Silna brothers had earned over $300,000,000 from the NBA despite never having played a game or indeed never having owned an NBA franchise. How they did it is a tale of planning, foresight and resilience to rival the very best commercial negotiations ever.
The Dutch Auction
Primarily used by buyers this is where one party will play 2 or more bidding suppliers against each other to drive the price down. It is usually done on an informal basis and is most effective when the buyer does not tell each bidder what the rival bid was, merely that they have been under-cut and need to reduce their price if they wish to win the business. It is often preceded by the buyer stating that they ‘do not want to get into a Dutch Auction but…’ It is a crude form of Game Theory and is used in transactional situations often for commoditised products or services (Cold or Cool negotiations). The Dutch Auction is not good for building trust.
bridge][ability news – April 2018
We are heading to San Fransisco to work with one of our key clients next week where we will be delivering negotiation and leadership skills development programs. This is after having worked with their European teams to deliver the same results.
Hear bridge][ability speak at the SaaS Sales Event
We are pleased to announce that Dan Hughes will be speaking at this event at HereEast by the Olympic Park in London on 21st June.
Brexit – the end is nigh
As we move into the last months of the Brexit negotiations, something funny is going to happen to those involved. It is called pressure and it makes people do things they don’t want to.
Dan Hughes on BBC News Channel
Dan was invited to appear on the BBC to discuss the current state of Brexit negotiations:
A Nudge is as Good as a Wink
You may have seen that Professor Richard Thaler recently won the Nobel prize for economics. Sometimes the winners of these prizes can occupy worlds which seem far removed from our own, and their theories seem to be relevant only for academia.
Conformity – are you a snowflake or a sheep?
We’re all individuals; we have unique fingerprints, dna and personalities. even the most identical of twins are not identical. we’re not ants running around unquestioningly, but non-conforming, intelligent humans whose every action is an expression of our own particular interpretation of the world surrounding us. we each have within us the ability to question and challenge the status quo.
Hostage Negotation
they’re irrational, unpredictable, and like to make threats. no, i’m not talking about your customers or suppliers – but hostage takers.
so what can commercial negotiators learn from hostage negotiators? on the face of it, the two sets of circumstances are radically different: