Learning Negotiation

Negotiation is about give and take.

That’s the lesson Roger offers her. Lilly needs funding for her business and he is willing to give it to her. But what he wants, what she needs to agree to, is submitting him. She needs to let him use her any way he wants.

It’s a lot to ask from a hard-nosed business woman. But there is something to be learned in doing it.

~~~~~ PG Excerpt ~~~~~

Lilly finished her summary, wrapping up the presentation. Across from her, the lead negotiator, a silver-haired older man whom she thought of as the stoic, closed his brown leather notebook with a solemn finality. Then he rested his hand on the cover and nodded at her.

He looked around the table, taking in her people.

“That was an excellent presentation,” he said.

But. The word hung in the air.

When he moved his hand to his cell phone, she read the gilt lettering on the cover of his notebook. Nolan Industries: Merger & Acquisition Analysis.

It was a big notebook, filled with spreadsheets, and many blank pages. She took it as ominous that the man hadn’t taken a lot of notes over the two days of the presentation. He hadn’t asked a lot of questions either.

Neither had his people.

That worried Lilly. This guy was their lead negotiator.

Now she made herself sit still, be polite, wait calmly, looking calmly, for the rest.

“Your concept is interesting,” he said. “But the proposal itself is a reach for a firm like ours.”

“A reach?” she asked. “It isn’t much money in terms of your operations.”

“The money isn’t the issue. But what you are asking in terms of accountability and structure… well, it suggests some significant differences in our business cultures. They are profound. And that complicates matters.”

“Cultural differences?” That came out of left field.

“We have serious differences in attitudes and approaches to business,” he said.

“Let’s discuss them,” she said. “I’m sure we can find a way forward.”

He shook his head, his mind made up.

“Accommodating different cultures is an enormous task,” he said.

“I don’t get it,” she said. “If the project is good—“

“The independence you insist on, the independence you claim is necessary, makes it unlikely you would do any changing. In my experience, the challenge of overcoming that typically outweighs the benefits of acquiring a company.”

“Then there is no deal,” she said.

He cocked his head. “It is unlikely.”

“But you don’t want it.”

“I don’t make final decisions for Nolan Industries, but that is what my report will recommend. And we do appreciate you taking the time to make your presentation. I’m sure you can find a company that would be a better fit for your… needs.”

With that, he stood. The three men and one woman who formed his entourage gathered their legal pads and other paraphernalia, stood, and they filed out.

As she watched them go, all business, one of them broke ranks. The youngest of them, a tall, nice-looking guy paused at the door. He looked right at her, smiled, winked, then waved. She remembered he had been introduced as Roger and knew nothing more about him.

Then he was gone, leaving her to wonder what that was all about.