Mastering the Art of Strategic Negotiation: Insights from a Business Development Pro
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INTERVIEWER
Um, So as you work through, let's go with the initial stages of an engagement, right? Cause you're, you're, you're the front man and you know, the, the paperwork assignment now it's we got to figure out what we're gonna do, right? Uh, and define that, the scope it part. And that is a It's a dance. It's a negotiation, right? You just you signed the statement of work, but even that doesn't really, really crystallize what you're trying to get done. So, how do you, when you're kind of in it day to day and negotiating with with the person on the other side of the piece of paper, right? What it is you're trying to get done, how do you continue to focus on the broader strategic goals of what your company's trying to accomplish? And the bigger picture items related to the overall project and not Get bogged down in the kind of tactical details of that negotiation. Just walk me through your framework for how you structure your your engagement process when you're doing this sort of thing.
CANDIDATE
So I, I usually, um, you know, do a, uh, fineline meeting with uh the project manager and a sideline meeting with uh my project manager, and, um, yeah, I basically give them what the overall scope is, the program, but then, uh, what we do is uh we do weekly status updates, um, but that is not just 11 way, uh, that's two way. So, you know, we, my project manager will send out, um, you know, Either, uh, things that are open items or, you know, actions that took place, but it's more engaged in trying to figure out if we're in the right direction because we're, we, we are dealing with emerging technologies and providing back, you know, the findings that, uh, you know, the customer, you know, gets a value, right? So, um. We see how the yeah we'll have like a weekly uh checkpoint to where where we're having discussions with the client. So, um I'll like reach out to the executive sponsor if they're in a meeting. If they're not in a meeting, I'll check in with them at least twice a month saying, you know, listen, that these are, you know, recent action items that we've we've accomplished. Um, we're looking like we're on target. Um, some of the issues could be like, you know, we're not getting, you know, all the information back from, you know, the SMEs from the client side. Um, so I'll, you know, tell, you know, my sponsor, you know, if we, if we don't get this, you know, we're not gonna, you know, provide back as much value as we need because, um, you know, we're, we're not gonna have. Uh, appropriate, uh, you know, you, uh, yeah, I'm not sure. Um, Yeah, so, uh, uh, c circling back, um, I just stay engaged with not just the, the project team from both ends, but also the executive, uh, sponsor, um, to make sure that it's aligned to everyone's expectations. Um, and when I see, when I have like an inkling that things are falling, you know, south, I'll, you know, basically engage in the client right away to make sure that, uh, you know, we minimize any, you know, potential risks for projects. OK. Did I answer your question?
INTERVIEWER
Uh, it does, although. Oh, I mean, it's Um, Although I guess What is it do you feel like as you as you look at your process, what do you feel is it that allows you to That prevents you from getting too far away from the details of the goal. Versus what you're trying to achieve, right? Because it is sometimes very easy to get kind of caught up in the, in the day to day kind of communications and here's what's going on, everything else, right? Um, and so, That can separate you from what it is, the overall goal at a meta level, what you're trying to achieve, the kind of longer term objectives versus the, this is what I'm trying to get done right now, and I want to surface right now. So, so what is it about your process that that prevents you from getting too far away from that?
CANDIDATE
Yeah, so, uh, I spot check myself again, uh, before I speak to the, um, the executive sponsor. And when I spot check myself, you know, I, I wanna make sure that we're in line with the scope of the project, but in the same token, I wanna make sure that it's aligned to their my client's corporate strategy. And if there's a deviation from that, why or why not? And then what can I do to help them get back on track?
INTERVIEWER
Yeah. Um, So in this, in, in this, I guess. It sounded like you were using a specific example, uh, with your executive check-ins and whatnot, like maybe you had something kind of in your mind that you were using as your example, but What What tends to surface as surprises? what surprises you when you when you go through these sorts of things, if anything?
CANDIDATE
Um, we may, uh, We may finish a sprint. And uh the customer's expectations um weren't aligned to what we said they were gonna say. Um, And and sometimes, you know, it's not clearly communicated back to us, so, um, I mean, it's my job to really peel the onion and figure out what they're expecting, um, and now we figure out what they're expecting to make sure, you know, it's aligned to, you know, their air strategy aligned to, you know, what we're gonna, you know, deliver to them after, you know, the, the project is done. Um, So, you know, I, I, I, I try to plug myself in um sooner than later as much as possible for those things not to happen, and we're pretty, pretty successful at it. Um. I mean, there, there's no time in the last few years that I've had a dissatisfied client say you didn't provide us with, you know. You, you say you don't provide us. We, we always, you know, check in on a weekly basis. I make sure I speak to the executive, uh, sponsor because, you know, there could be a disconnect with the project team and the executive sponsor, and then I take it, you know, the next step forward, and I, I try to bring in um their peer group, the executive sponsors peer group within um their practice area to make sure that, you know, within their peer group that they're aligned.
INTERVIEWER
OK. So I need to check one thing a little higher up.
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