Lately, I’ve been checking out a lot of audio books to read while I drive around town. It makes the driving so much more relaxing and enjoyable. You get the added benefit of learning something. Here are a few I’ve listened to recently.
On Negotiating by Mark H. McCormack
This is a great audiobook with loads of practical experience and advice on the strategies and techniques behind negotiating. McCormack presents numerous anecdotal examples to illustrate his points and brings his business leadership experience to the fore to provide very valuable insight and information. The material is highly valuable and you will find yourself thinking back to it when you encounter any type of situation that requires coming to an agreement. The biggest lesson to me was about thinking big during a negotiation. Don’t be afraid to make an insultingly high or low offer. If you start out splitting the difference during a negotiation you will have even less leeway and you will likely end up with a bad deal. The higher and lower you go (depending on if you are the buyer or seller) the more room you have to maneuver. This book is highly recommended for anyone. You will soon find new opportunities to put these techniques to work.
Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat: Business Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks (1995) by Lou Pritchett
This guy has a folksy charm with his Memphis twang and fantastic stories gleaned from his 36 years with Procter & Gamble. Starting off in sales right out of college he worked his way to head of P&G’s Phillipines division and onward. Most memorable yet simple idea: if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Don’t quit, don’t stop. Keep working to improve yourself and your work. It’s a process that never ends.
