The Art of Negotiation

Having been in the timber and land business for a while, I've come to recognize that people have their own unique negotiation styles. There are a number of self-help style books on the subject, and I confess to having read a few of them in my younger days. But I believe experience is the great teacher, and I confess that I have learned more from watching and listening to some of the masters operate.

I think I've seen or dealt with just about every style.

There's the "win-lose" style, the person who won't be satisfied unless he thinks he's beat you in the deal. Every negotiation is a game with this guy, and it's a game he intends to win.

There's the "engineer/accountant" style, the person who asks so many questions that you'll give in just to get out of the interrogation. This type takes forever to make a decision.

Then there's the "I'm helpless" style, which is usually employed by the shrewdest of negotiators. This person feigns ignorance, often just to see what you know or what you might divulge.

There are also a number of acts that go with the styles. I've seen millionaires who drive around in old cars and simple clothes, looking like they didn't have two nickels to rub together. I've seen other guys driving Hummers and wearing the latest LL Bean fashion that couldn't get approved for a loan at a pawn shop.

One of my favorite stories of a master negotiator came from a friend of mine who had a morning appointment to discuss the price he would pay for a landowner's timber. The landowner, who lives near Auburn and is somewhat of a celebrity (if you live in Alabama you would know his name), asked him to come by his farmhouse at eight a.m. to discuss prices and close the deal.

When my friend knocked, the landowner answered the door naked. Said he'd just got out of bed. Invited my friend to have a seat on the couch while he got some coffee. My friend obliged, thinking the guy would get dressed and be ready to talk business in a few minutes.

Instead, the man fixed his coffee and sat down next to him. Still naked. He said, "O.K., what kind of prices do you have for me."

My friend stuttered and stammered for a few minutes, then finally said "Coach, you are going to have to go put some clothes on before we talk anymore."

Guess who came out on top in that deal.