Your Most Important Negotiations Will Be With The People Closest To You ⋆ Fail To Learn

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Kwame Christian discovered his passion for negotiation by accident. During law school he took a class on negotiation that sparked a fire inside of him.

He’s a practicing business attorney and recently launched the American Negotiation Institute to help you get better deals and advance your career.

I loved talking with Kwame about negotiations. This wasn’t a typical failure story because I went off track with my questions. Instead of a story you get some wonderful negotiation tips.

Here’s what Kwame and I discuss:

How Kwame realized he could make a business out of what actually interests him.
How he built his client base doing free negotiation seminars.
The 3 ways you can use negotiations. And it’s more than simply getting a better deal.
How Kwame’s happiness played into his decision to launch this business, and begin transitioning his legal practice.
The most difficult negotiations you’ll face.
Demystifying the planning process for any negotiation.
Kwame’s struggle to balance two startup businesses.
How he struggles with patience while building his audience.
How Kwame found successful connections through LinkedIn.
The difference between conflict and combat, and why that’s important to your sales and negotiations.
How long should you prepare before you negotiate with someone?
Why negotiations are won, and lost, in the preparation.
Why you shouldn’t look at negotiation as a single event and more like a long-term process.
The biggest challenge you face when negotiating.
Kwame’s 70–30 rule for negotiating.
Why he said he has a problem with selling.
How he thinks being a lawyer has hampered his ability to market himself.
How grit has played into his success.
If you’re in a business partnership, why you need to understand the communication challenges facing you. And how they’re more complicated than a marriage.