Poker Face

Working in sales for the last five years, I’ve learned a thing or two about negotiations. What I’ve found interesting is that many people think there’s only one approach to negotiating.

I find this disheartening since this approach, what I call “poker negotiations,” has a level of distrust associated with it. Why do I call it “poker negotiations”? Because both parties hold their cards and keep them secret from each other.

The belief is that if you share your cards, the other party will win and you will lose. This is an old model for negotiations. What exactly is “winning” and “losing” in business, anyway? To me, if either party loses out, then the transaction is a failure. Both parties lose.

I’ve been trying a new method in business. Instead of hiding my cards, I am showing my cards.

Wouldn’t life be a lot easier if we just put our cards on the table? What if I told my client, “I see you have a queen, I could use a queen.” Or what if my customer says, “Do you mind if I borrow your jack?”

It might seem silly, but my business has boomed since taking this approach. With the cards on the table, nobody has to lose and business moves fast.

This approach works in relationships as well. Give it a try sometime–you might like it!