You will be able to script the first two minutes of a negotiation and plan your concessions.
The first two minutes of a negotiation set its tone, and they're the two minutes people prepare least. They'll research for hours, then walk in and open with "So, um, about the fee." What comes out next is whatever their nerves produce.
Arjun has a call with the marketing manager on Thursday. By the end of this lesson he'll have the opening written word for word, a short list of questions, and a plan for what he'll give and what he'll ask for in return.
Your opening has two jobs: set a friendly, businesslike tone, and put your first offer on the table with the reason behind it. Write it out in full. You won't read it aloud like a script, but writing it forces you to decide what you'll actually say.
Arjun's draft, with example figures:
"Thanks for making time. The launch clips worked well, and I'd like to keep doing this kind of work for you. For eight videos a month, two rounds of revisions each and a five-day turnaround, I'm proposing S$6,000 a month on a six-month agreement. That's in line with what editors I know charge for similar monthly packages, and it reflects the volume you've described."
The number is S$6,000, above his target of S$5,500 and well above his reservation point of S$4,800. Module 4 explains why he opens above his target and how to choose the gap. For now, notice that the reason comes in the same breath as the number. A number with a reason sounds like a proposal. A number on its own sounds like a demand.
Arjun wants to ask a few things before he names any figure, because the answers might change it. He prepares four, drawing on lesson 1.2, Questions that uncover the other side's interests:
"How many launches do you have planned over the next six months, and roughly when?"
"What matters most to you in launch weeks: speed, or having more versions to choose from?"
"Who else needs to approve this, and what will they want to see?"
"What hasn't worked with editors you've used before?"
If the answer to the first question is "only one launch, and the rest is social content", the volume is lower than he assumed and his proposal should change. If the director's main worry is being locked in, a shorter notice period might matter more than the fee. Asking first means his opening offer fits their situation, instead of being something he has to walk back.
Plan when to ask, too. A short exchange of questions at the start feels natural in Singapore business settings, especially when you already know each other. Leave the numbers until you have the answers.
You'll probably have to give something. The question is whether you give it on purpose or under pressure. So plan the order of your concessions, and what you'll ask for in return each time, using the trading currency from lesson 3.2, List the issues and decide what you can trade.
Arjun's plan has three steps. First, if they need faster delivery in launch weeks, he'll offer a three-day turnaround for those weeks, and ask that the fee stays at S$6,000. Second, if the fee is the sticking point, he'll come down to S$5,700, but only if they agree to pay within 14 days of each invoice. Third, if they want the raw footage and project files, he'll hand them over, provided he can show the finished videos in his portfolio after each launch.
Each concession has a price attached. Nothing is given away for free, which is the idea module 5 builds on. And the plan stops well above S$4,800: if the conversation heads below that, he'll pause rather than improvise.
Finally, say the opening out loud, more than once. Then ask a friend to play the other side. Brief them on the situation in a few lines and ask them to be realistic, not cruel.
The most useful part of rehearsal is the response you're most afraid of. For Arjun, it's the manager saying, "Our budget is S$4,000. That's the maximum." He asks his friend to say exactly that, and practises a reply until it comes out calmly: "I understand the budget is fixed. At S$4,000 I'd suggest fewer videos a month, say five, so the quality stays where you need it. Would that work for the launches you have planned?"
He might never hear that line. But having practised it, he won't freeze if he does, and he won't drop to S$4,000 for eight videos just to end an uncomfortable silence.
For the activity, you'll write your own opening line and first offer, then set out three planned concessions, each paired with the specific thing you'll ask for in exchange.
Write your opening line, your first offer and three planned concessions, each with what you will ask in return.
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