Russian Soviet Negotiation
No!
— Brian NATO Sea division (@nato_sea) March 25, 2024
Ukraine is not going to negotiate with russia, and here is why:
Well said by Maja Kallas 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ACJI03e7BX
That's an initial letter typo in the tweet above. Kaja Kallas as I blog today since 2021, is the sitting prime minister of Estonia.
So knows a thing or two about living next door to a despotic gangster bully.
Negotiation in general is one huge area where I feel solution sellers get scant direction.
Whether because in a large outfit, once 'closed' you likely hand the finalities over to colleagues in Legals. Or in less staffed firms, your higher-ups like to come in a swing their shoulders, often leading to the diminishing maxim 'the bigger the title, the bigger the discount'. And in the smaller, indeed smallest if lone warrior, your chances of formalised, decent calibre guidance on the discipline are similarly slim to zero.
We're well aware of the imbalance in buying power. Typically the overbearing, enormo-corp flexing their muscles to hammer down all your margin.
Yet such tactics fly in the face of the collaborative, genuine mutually beneficial on-going relationship and win-win theme which, I firmly believe, underpins joint success of all individuals, vendors and clients.
I myself have walked away from deals because of the negotiation behaviour of the potential customer.
It causes a malodorous stink.
Yes, the niceties of personal bonhomie are removable from such discussions. But not to the extent they're replaced by outright hostility and rudeness crossing the line to contempt.
The Baltic States are clearly in fear of the Putin jackboot. A tyrant hellbent on dusting off the old Soviet playbook. Amazing, considering how badly that ended for that lot of brutes (and even worse, for their oppressed peoples).
The three-pronged weaponised approach cited above is fascinating (as it is scary). Quoting mid-last century Foreign Affairs Minister, Andrei Gromyko revealing;
First, demand the maximum. Do not ask, but demand something that's never been yours.
Second, present ultimatums. Threaten.
Third, do not give one inch in negotiations. Because there'll always be people in the West who will offer you something.
And as she concludes, in the end you'll have something that you didn't have before.
The useful idiots in the West, especially those bleating about the misrepresented 90s ɴᴀᴛᴏ promise not to expand, don't get this at all.
I've been on the receiving end of this all-too real half-Nelson.
A ridiculously low fixed price demand. Onerous suffocating cost-loaded sʟᴀ clauses, particularly ones over which you've no control. Outrageous ɴᴅᴀ instruction to never speak of the deal.
Well, we'll go with your (most disreputable) competition instead, then. Agree right now else the whole thing's off. Your whole target market won't be doing business with you if you don't accept.
There's no movement. Take it or leave it. Tell your boss.
These days of subs-style monthlies, such aggression can still emerge. Remember;
the price is the price.
You can mitigate.
Introduce other personalities. Level-sell. Focus on small at the start is fine so as to never get dazzled by any claims of future dripping roasts.
Perhaps greatest of all, ensure the person with the sharpest pain can sway the day your way.
Having now heard this though, I'd be perfectly happy to mention it when ever next being given the same nasty treatment.
You really wanna be like Putin, eh ..?