Then listen — really listen — to their response. I was fortunate my client did this when I had not. Test your assumptions. List the elements of the deal you think you know but haven’t confirmed. These could include the cost, the timing, or the client’s estimation of the value of the deal. In my example, I assumed my client’s priority was that the event had to take place at a specific kind of venue. Their actual priorities were brand alignment with our publication and a high-level audience of decision-makers. Know what’s valuable to them. This is possibly the trickiest technique mentioned here, but it may also be the most valuable. Consider what you have to offer in terms of how the other party values it .
Understanding value in terms of how the other side perceives it helps keep a relationship fresh and aligned. Your friends at Scotwork wish you good relationships in your deals and your life away from work. Happy Valentine’s Day to you — but especially to my wife, Sophie.
For instance, alignment with my publication’s brand was not a hard cost to my team, so I undervalued it from the client’s perspective.
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