Creative Conflict

 

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Negotiating a New Era

There was a time, not so long ago, when business negotiators followed a simple, linear roadmap. Their job wasn’t always easy, but it was reasonably straightforward. Contracts were more or less uniform. Criteria were pretty much standard, with pricing first, second, and third. But that was then. In this more complex dealmaking era, we’re no longer comparing apples to apples. Modern buyers are eyeing Honeycrisps and Braeburns versus the latest Fuji–Golden Delicious hybrid, and asking themselves: Exactly what kind of apple do we need? And a seller might inquire: Is it for eating or baking or juice? Do you want acidity or sweetness? How many days of shelf life? And what about bruising? A thousand things need to be hashed ...