Negotiating with security experts

We must first establish at the beginning of the confrontation their background and credentials; if we do, our assertions may not even be questioned. In other words, take advantage of the fact that, in complicated negotiations with large-scale integration projects, participants often lack specialized knowledge in certain aspects of the e-security issue.

Usually, the only kind of knowledge required in most negotiations, even in security, is the ability to ask smart questions and know if you are getting the precise answers. When faced with the expert, whether you call yourself a director of security or it, or an integrator, don't be impressed. Keep in mind that if they didn't need you or what you have to offer, you wouldn't be there. Get in the habit of saying from time to time:

- I don't understand. It's been three minutes since I got lost.
-Could you explain it to me in simple language?

A dose of irreverence, plus a hint of innocence when combined with gentle persistence and many questions, often change the attitude and behavior of the supposed security expert.

Within the ability to figure out "needs", in every project and negotiation, there are two things that are always haggled over:
1) The objective and specific demands that are openly proclaimed.
2) The real needs of the other party, which are rarely verbalized.

If you can establish a reasonable guess about what the other's needs are, then you can predict with admirable certainty what will happen in any relationship with that person.

Let's use this analogy:
Why did the United States find it so difficult to get out of the war in Vietnam?
for by the time they tried to get rid of the war, they had already sacrificed forty-five thousand American lives in that effort.

No one walks away after such an investment

When you have to talk about the numbers in the projects, make sure you do it at the end of the management, make sure that you have the right technological application, the products, the needs covered, and then you can deal with the numbers at the end of the negotiation, after the other party has made a heavy expenditure of energy and a substantial investment of time. But what if the price comes to light at the beginning of the negotiation? Don't ignore it, talk about it, but postpone it. Return to it once the other party has spent a considerable amount of time with you. You will be surprised to see how flexible you behave at the end of the negotiation after you have made that investment.

If your perception in a meeting is that I can help you or affect you negatively (even if you can't or won't), then I exercise power in my relationship with you.

Suppose you think I have an influence on you getting a promotion or raise, or the company giving you a car. If all these things are important to you, do that, what do you treat me with silk gloves? You'd better believe it.

Happy Sales!!!

* Adhir Uzcátegui is the general manager of Suntech Group, an extension of several electronic security equipment factories for Latin America. You can contact him by writing to the email [email protected]