Walk, Talk and Negotiate Like a CEO

Linda Swindling's tremendously beneficial presentation, "Walk, Talk and Negotiate Like a CEO" at Sterling Bank’s Women’s Business Initiative Luncheon in Dallas last week provided tips to help increase executive presence, power and position. Linda’s high energy, action-oriented recommendations were augmented with her special Passport to Success gift for each attendee.

Knowledge is the common denominator. And knowledge is expanded by asking great questions. We must know:

· how we are perceived
· what both parties to a negotiation consider success
· that continuous learning and shared information are essential

One of the keys to achieving executive presence is to know how we appear to others. Linda challenged everyone to note two words that describe how others see us. The next step is to ask others to describe us in two words. When we are surprised by the way that others view us, we have the choice to adopt that description or adapt our behavior to warrant a different descriptor.

Masterful negotiating requires understanding not only what we want, but also what the other party wants. When we can offer things that cost us little but are valued greatly by the other party, we both win. Differentiating between items that are essential and optional and investing more people in the deal can lead to improved negotiation outcomes.

Our position is improved when we become a “potted plant”. Contrary to the passive image the words convey, healthy, human potted plants continually absorb information and grow. Time is a CEO’s most precious resource. Ready access to valuable information maximizes productivity.

In addition to demonstrating executive presence, power and position, we need to ask for what we want. Others are not mind readers, but many are quite willing to be helpful when approached graciously and professionally with a request. We’re so fortunate that Linda said, “Yes” when we asked her to help us “Walk, Talk and Negotiate Like a CEO”.