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Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas
Price $35.95
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What
the experts are saying
Many books written for businessmen focus on the bottom line,
on looking out for number one. If there is some way to manipulate
your clients into forking over more of their cash, so much
the better. Dr. Habib Chamoun, however, has written a business
book with a soul. His wide-ranging volume on negotiating with
persons from other cultures looks beyond maximizing profits.
Instead, he advocates the building of long-term relationships
with clients. A client from a different culture, however,
is likely to have goals that differ from yours. We negotiate
because of differences in how we think, feel, and act. Although
of course such differences exist even within a culture, they
are heightened when dealing with another culture. Each culture
sees the world differently.
These differences are an opportunity to learn the best of
what another culture has to offer, so that we may apply it
to our own lives or businesses. Therefore, Dr. Chamoun advises
that we study the cultures of our clients. In this way, we
will have a better chance to build long-term business and
personal relationships. One of the best features of this book
is Dr. Chamoun's personal expertise regarding the Mexican
culture. He points out that Mexican culture favors relationship-building.
In fact,
there are many parts of Mexico where a firm handshake means
more than a written contract.
Learning and applying these cultural insights increases the
strategies that one can use in various situations. Thus is
success achieved. The opposite of this global vision is a
focus only on price, which Dr. Chamoun asserts generally leads
to failure, in the long run, because such an approach tends
to destroy trust. Focusing only on price (that is, trying
to sell too high, or buy too low) tends to build mistrust.
Price should not be the only element under consideration.
What the client cares about, in many cases, is not how much
he pays, but that we understand and satisfy him. It is truly
refreshing to read a book that
argues for the value of relationship building over cash. Unlike
many business books, "Deal" has a moral sense.
Nothing replaces relationship-building on an individual basis.
Every individual has a unique negotiating style. Moreover,
individuals can change. All of us have changed over the years.
The goals that we had a year ago, or even three months ago,
are likely quite different from the goals we have today.
And so, for where we are at the moment, we must design an
action plan, with steps and activities to carry out to help
us meet our changing objectives. Each project is different
and unique. We should seek continuous improvement at all levels.
However, since we and our objectives and our world are constantly
changing, future planning is almost impossible. We rely more
on quick reactions and on our intuitions. We are constantly
confronted with immediate problems, which generates a flexible
attitude along with a tendency to work towards short-term
results. Paradoxical though it may seem, one must be both
firm and flexible. In spite of so much instability, we must
plan actions so that we achieve our goals. Our objectives
should be clear, and should all be in the same direction.
We must work towards fulfilling our dreams.
In order to do so, it's good to have a Plan B, in case Plan
A fails. In any negotiation it is a good idea to visualize
multiple alternatives to the agreement. Negotiations are a
continuous process of problem-solving. To solve a complex
problem, divide it into several segments and solve it step
by step.
Another important element of problem solving is to let bygones
be bygones. Rather than worrying about the past, we do far
better to prepare ourselves for the future. Through savings
and investments over time, we will have the resources to face
whatever the future brings. TIME, that is, can lead to a gain
in power.
Clearly, there are vast differences in power among nations.
This is perhaps clearest in the case of Mexicans and Americans.
There may be no other border in the world where the differences
between the two countries are so stark. Because of its economic
and military strength, the United States generally has the
upper hand. Perhaps in the past, some Mexicans may have tried
to take advantage of North Americans, considering their relatively
vast wealth. Chamoun's conviction, however, is that Mexicans
are moving more towards a win-win business model, towards
the building of long-term relationships.
Long-term relationships of quality are possible only if the
participants are honest and ethical. However, when one party
to a negotiation seeks to take advantage of the weaker party,
the weaker party can simply walk away, at least temporarily
and perhaps permanently. Chamoun points out that many Mexicans
have simply walked away from negotiations without explanation.
It may have been an effort on their part to gain power.
With skill, the weaker party can reduce the differences in
power. It is not always the strong who take advantage of the
weak. But, the weaker has to use the best possible strategies
to even out the disparity. In this way, the weaker party can
be more powerful than he at first appears. He may, for
example, have the moral high ground. A powerful, but immoral,
party may be weaker than is generally assumed.
If a balance of power can be found, this can lead to a long-term
business or personal relationship. In a beautiful simile,
Dr. Chamoun notes that a long-term relationship is like a
tree that grows and flourishes when well cared for. Some projects
are of very long duration, requiring multiple
agreements along the way. To enhance the relationship, it
is always necessary to respect and support the communication
process. One way of doing this is to let the other party speak
first, and to listen to what he has to say.
Sometimes, we have difficulty differentiating the personal
from the business relationship. To mistake a business relationship
for a personal one can be humiliating. It is, therefore, important
to remember that a deal does not always mean friendship between
the parties.
But, whether the relationship is of a business nature, a personal
nature, or both, it is essential to build trust. According
to Dr. Chamoun, the two factors that tend to lead to a decision
to purchase something are liking the product, and trusting
the provider of the product or service. The process of negotiation
can lead to a client's decision to make the purchase. On the
other hand, if neither the person nor the product is worth
it, we should avoid the negotiation. Minimizing the bad opportunities
gives us the time and the energy to focus on the good ones.
Spending time on a negotiation when we don't trust the product
or the provider leads to a risk of failure. Sometimes we lose
because we play with the wrong people. People are not angels
and will sometimes look out for themselves, at our expense.
At other times we lose because we are playing the wrong game.
Dr. Chamoun counsels that we play the right game with the
right people.
John R. Poff
U.S. Copyright Office
Library of Congress
May 2005
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