I love my mother. Of course I do, she’s my mother, right?
I do not, however, always enjoy going out to eat with my mother. Mom is extremely picky about food. As a result, I’m not sure I recall ever dining out with my mother and her being happy with the result. She sends her food back—a lot. I understand that my mom is just trying to get what she pays for, but I’ve always found the practice a bit embarrassing.
I never send food back at restaurants. Ever. In fact, I’ve actually paid for meals, not eaten a bite and then stopped for fast food on the way home. There’s certainly no negotiation there. I’m the clear loser.
Maybe it’s just adolescent angst played out in adulthood, but I just can’t do it.
I also never ask for discounts or attempt to barter goods. It’s not that I want to pay more, I’m just embarrassed by the negotiation process.
I learned a lot about how to negotiate for various items in Stuart Diamond‘s book, Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life.
I’m unlikely to use much of the advice Diamond provided about negotiating for tangible items such as travel or service discounts. But I will use his advice for less tangible negotiations like those dealing with relationships in the workplace and with children.
Diamond’s advice about seeing the pictures in the other person’s head and controlling emotion really are critical in any exchange process, whether it be for goods or information or in attempts at persuasion.
Overall, Diamond’s book was a fast and worthy, yet repetitive, read. It would be beneficial to those in sales-related industries or those who aren’t embarrassed by bartering. Otherwise, it’s a good book for better understanding human interactions and relationship building.
