Negotiating, in and of itself is an individual effort. There is no textbook example to follow. Each negotiator has his or her own style which was typically learned by trial and error through years of experience. Experience gained while negotiating the price of a new car at a dealership, negotiating with a shipper, broker or 3PL for a load, or negotiating with a carrier to get them to haul your customers load at the lowest price.
After I had written, but, before I began publishing and marketing the best selling "18 Wheels of Justice" series, I scoured the Internet for similar books or discussions on negotiating in the transportation marketplace. I was shocked that I found nothing worth purchasing or for that matter, reading.
The many self proclaimed "Experts" in our industry offer nothing on the subject.
(Industry - Trucking arena, not Brokerage. I will address Brokerage "Experts" in next weeks Bleater)
The only information available was:
1. Know your cost!!(Fuel,Tires,Insurance,Maint., ad nauseum)
2. Demand your rate!!(Don't haul anything for less than what your costs are plus your profit!!)
This is all I could I find.
Sage advice? hardly... Educational? I don't see it and I didn't read this and walk away with knowledge to put into practice...
Negotiating is an art form. Individual and unique by nature in each transaction, but it follows a natural basic design and pattern. Good negotiation never involves an auction style bidding process, nor a standoff based on price alone!
Please join me over the next three business days(Friday,Monday and Tuesday) on the Bleater where I will compare and contrast the good and bad strategies of negotiation used on a specific transaction. Stay tuned...
18 Wheels of Justice Series available only at 18 Wheels of Justice Home
