As I noted in a previous post, we need our Congressional representatives to build coalitions. As part of that, you need good negotiation skills. TheFreeDictionary.com defines negotiation as “a discussion set up or intended to produce an agreement.” I’m the last person to share lessons in negotiating, but I can probably give you a laugh or two with my experiences that illustrate what not to do. Let me share some of my own experiences:
Buying a House
We sold our first house much quicker than we anticipated. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a house on the market that met all of our criteria. So, we went into a month-to-month lease in a friend’s condominium. It was nice to have that option. After 3 months, we found the perfect house on-line. We set up a time to take a look. They didn’t even have the “For Sale” sign up in the yard yet, as we were the first to see the house. We went in, and it was perfect. It looked great inside and out, unlike many others we viewed previously. Our realtor recommended paying the asking price, which was very reasonable. We did…and the seller agreed, so we were able to seal the deal…but there weren’t any negotiations involved!
Buying a Car
A few years later, I was driving a nice Ford pickup that my brother purchased, passed on to my father, who passed it on to me after buying his own truck. About a year later, I was broadsided by another pickup that ran a red light. Fortunately, my kids and I were all OK…but the truck was totaled. The next several weeks were difficult, as we navigated our schedules with one vehicle. Finally, my wife gave me an ultimatum, “Don’t come home without a vehicle.” For weeks, I shopped on the internet and found what I wanted. So, I called a taxi to take me from work the used car sales lot. You can only imagine the salesman’s delight, as I pulled up in a taxi. Instead of walking away, my negotiation position was, “I’ll call a cab.” Anyway, I did make the purchase…and came home in my new-to-me used Explorer. My co-worker, who is a great negotiator, loves that story!
Buying another Car
About three years later, that Explorer’s transmission went out… At that point, we decided we needed a new family vehicle, and we really wanted to upgrade from the Ford Freestar mini-van to a Honda Odyssey. Again, I shopped on-line and found just what we wanted. So, I drove the Explorer (which had difficulty shifting gears) up to the Used Car salesman. Again, I was in a weak negotiating position, as I didn’t want to drive that vehicle anymore…with good reason! Ultimately, I ended up with a deal on the Honda Odyssey that I drove home that night.
So, as you can see, I’m in no position to advise the President, the House, or the Senate on how to negotiate…I just wish they would at least have a “discussion intended to produce an agreement.” Until they do, I’ll be spending more time at home than at work…