Bowie, MD

Monday, August 24, 2009

I met my wife in February 1999 and we were engaged ten months later on Christmas Day. It was on Sept 9th, or nine-nine, when we said yes-yes. The wedding was outdoors, the following fall, and a good time was had by all. We owe that to having beer and wine available before, during and after the ceremony.

Little did I realize, when we consolidated our two homes into one, I would be learning a valuable lesson in negotiation strategy. We needed to sell my wife's condominium, after she moved in with me to my house in Bowie. After it was on the market for a little while, we received our first offer.

The offer was not quite what we wanted. Our real estate agent, Len, put together our counter offer in which we wanted more on the overall price, while the buyer put up less cash now. I noted our counter offer went back to them with no numbers, only the framework of an agreement; more on the top for us, less on the bottom for them. Len had asked the buyer to fill in the numbers. We had numbers in our heads of course, but we wanted to see what they would come up with. Sure enough, their numbers were better for us than what we had wanted. Of course, if they not been, we could have discussed that further.

A year or two later, my wife and I traveled to Ottawa for a technical meeting of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). I worked for a company call Sky Station International (SSI). SSI wanted to position stratospheric (high altitude (20 kilometer)) airships above major cites and provide wireless communications service.

We were debating an agreement with a Canadian delegation, regarding the allowable signal strength received along the Canadian border generated by US transmitters located on stratospheric airships. There was an existing mask that showed allowable signal strength as a function of received elevation angle. When the mask was agreed to previously, the US was not contemplating transmitters much above 20 meters, let alone 20 kilometers. I knew it needed changed to accommodate the advances in airships.

I decided to use the "Len Strategy" I described above. I offered only the framework of a new mask, more signal at low angles, less at high ones, but with no new numbers. We let the Canadian delegates propose the new numbers and once again, their proposal was better for us than what we had in mind. It is easy to get caught up in "the numbers" when negotiating, some times you can do better by focusing on something else. When making a "numberless" counter offer with a complete framework, you can arrange the overall contract more to your liking and let the other side, focus-in only on "the numbers".

For more of life's lessons, I strongly urge you to consider joining Toastmasters International. Toastmasters—a nonprofit, global educational organization—enables its members to practice public speaking in a relaxed and comfortable setting. At Toastmasters, you learn with others who are there for the same reason you are—to become better communicators and leaders

Although our members are mainly known for their public speaking expertise, many other important skills are gained by participating in the organization. How to be an effective listener, giving positive feedback and running an effective meeting are all practiced regularly at our meetings.

Beginning speakers and experienced professionals alike can benefit from our practical, face-to-face program. So, whether you're speaking to the board of directors, your customers or co-workers, or your kids; Toastmasters can help you do it better, and for less. So check out our websites. New members are always welcome.

My club, Parliament Speakers, is located near the DC Beltway and Martin Luther King Blvd. The club meets at noon, on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, at:

Mark N. Lewellen

Consultant/Instructor

Bowie, MD

240-882-1234

First Url: Toastmasters International

Second Url: My Club