|
|
| Negotiation Skill | Course | Class | Tips | Tactic | Training Articles and Information |
|
||
|
|
Can a Service Be a Commodity
Well Enron dealt with this a little for instance an intangible such as the available bandwidth in fiber optic lines. So what is a commodity in a service business? Well, a commodity could be considered are capacity to wash cars for a mobile car wash business like the company I own, the additionally created capacity coming from increased efficiency in studying production rates. In a service business, increased efficiencies will allow more time to do more work and thus make more profits from additional work. Our biggest customers sign contracts with us to clean cars, concrete, fleets, etc. by signing the contracts with us in advance, what they are able to do is the guarantee that we will do their job first, no matter how busy we get or no matter how much in demand we are to other potential clients. Service Contracts could in fact be commoditized too you see, just like Enron had decided it could do with excess bandwidth in fiber optic lines or timber futures for new home builders. The excess capacity for washing cars could be the capacity of our units to wash cars in advance directly to the general public after those important pre-scheduled and contracted fleets produce. By using prepaid carwash cards we can sell carwashes in advance to our customers at a predetermined price. We guarantee we will deliver those carwashes even enough the relative price of carwashes go up due to the demand that occurs both from seasonality, changing demographics and that change in more sunnier weather (which makes our phone ring off the hook). Our customers are able to lock in the price of a carwash, or many carwashes, or a contract for our capacity to wash cars. Like Starbucks we are smart, we are constantly improving our capacity to wash more cars, while we eliminate other market players by bundling services, providing better services, afford better equipment, better marketing dollars or lower prices to the customer who signs up in advance. With these contracts in hand any company can use those against bank loans for influx of capital for expansion, those who sell their products and yes, services too will be able to better judge their future obligations and needs. Those who buy the contracts can also have their costs known and locked in. Those who trade on the float and provide a system for doing this also tend to assist the system by risking their monies on their perceived future possibilities of price fluctuations in that market. So in fact a service, which becomes a commodity stabilizes prices, promotes efficiency and allows customers to lock in guaranteed deliver and price and that is a good thing, think about it Enron did. "Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Managing the Sales Negotiation Process How many times have you heard: The Ultimate Truth in Persuasion OK, so you want to improve your persuasion power right? Business: Keys To Negotiating Well Whether it's buying a car, asking for a pay rise, saying 'no' to a friend or renting an apartment - at some stage in our lives we all are going to need to know how to negotiate. Yet, so few of us know the basic skills before embarking on life changing purchases or decisions! These 8 keys will assist you negotiate well. How to Change Somebody?s Mind Believe me, it's not easy! And sometimes, it doesn't work at all. Win-Win Power Negotiating Let's talk about win-win negotiating. Instead of trying to dominate the other person and trick him into doing things he wouldn't normally do, I believe that you should work with the other person to work out your problems and develop a solution with which both of you can win. Where to FIND the BEST Employees -- Obviously, you might logically say, "that is good!" You would most certainly be on track feeling good about everyone in your area having a job. Getting everyone working and being more self-sufficient is our logical goal. Barter: Its Not Just for Doctors Anymore Time was, in the country, the local "doc" was as likely to get paid with a couple of chickens as a couple of dollars. Doctors these days won't stand for that, of course, but while some people have moved completely away from barter and stayed there, others have embraced it wholeheartedly. Ask for More - You May Get More If you are involved with sales, how do you feel when you hear phrases such as, "Can you do anything about your price?" or, "You'll have to do better than that." and variations on these? Does a cloud or two cross the sun? You start to think, "here we go again?.." ? yet, have you prepared for this situation? Cross Cultural Negotiations Cross cultural negotiation is one of many specialized areas within the wider field of cross cultural communications. By taking cross cultural negotiation training, negotiators and sales personnel give themselves an advantage over competitors. Suppliers as Your Partners in Cost Reduction This article is one of the many articles still to come in which I will discuss very basic yet proven techniques that you could use immediately in your encounters with your suppliers. So Whats Your Argument? Arguments aren't always bad things. Sometimes They're used to convince someone of an important point they may not yet realize. Negotiate Your Way to a Better Salary 1. Be persuasive: It's hard to force your boss to increase your compensation, and trying to do so can potentially damage your working relationship. On the other hand, it's much easier to persuade her or him that it might benefit the organisation to pay you more, and that doing so will likely improve the way you deal with each other going forward. Making the Deal: Women as Negotiators Negotiating is no game. It is not for the weak or the fragile. It takes assertiveness and someone who feels comfortable in the mano-a-mano world of business. Can women negotiate the deal as well as their male counterparts? Absolutely! In some cases, they may even do a better job. Women have a definite edge at the negotiating table because of their instincts and natural power of persuasion. Embarrassed To Discuss Your Prices? Seven Common Reasons We Cant Talk About Them Last week, a wonderfully-skilled electrician installed a new light fixture for us. He was competent, courteous and efficient. He answered all our questions simply, with skill and eloquence. I was amazed, as you might imagine, when I asked him, "How much do we owe you?" and his embarrassed reply was, "Gee, is $50 okay?" Neogtiation: How to be Right Without Making Other People Wrong What exactly are we trying to accomplish by proving to others that we're right? We might win the argument but ultimately lose the relationship. Perhaps a better, deeper-rooted question is this: Why do we lose sight of success, of our big objective, when we feel challenged or intimidated? Can a Service Be a Commodity Well Enron dealt with this a little for instance an intangible such as the available bandwidth in fiber optic lines. So what is a commodity in a service business? Well, a commodity could be considered are capacity to wash cars for a mobile car wash business like the company I own, the additionally created capacity coming from increased efficiency in studying production rates. In a service business, increased efficiencies will allow more time to do more work and thus make more profits from additional work. Better Internal Proposals A colleague of mine has a problem. We belong to the same association and he's been trying for quite some time, without success, to get support for one of his proposals. Negotiating: Forcing vs Compromising Forcing is a hard-nosed approach that makes heavy demands from the outset. Emotions are displayed frequently, few concessions are made, and the bottom line may be concealed. This technique is used when the other side is determined to make you lose, or in one-shot deals. One advantage of this approach is that it normally uses less time than other approaches and leads to total victory if you have more power than the other side. The disadvantage of forcing is that it can lead to stalemate if the other side uses the same approach. The other side can also become resentful and vengeful. Can a Corporate Executive Really Use The Beautiful Mind; To guide decision making? I would like to comment on the "A Beautiful Mind" movie and the book, which was actually much better. I just finished reading another book on the similar side of John Nashs' assertion of working together rather than competing against. That book was "Co-opetition." By Adam M. Brandenburger (Havard guy)and Barry J. Nalebuff (Yale Dude). Many have been aware of such theory for quite a while and practice such occasionally for the betterment of an industry or through the art of diplomacy, sometimes through misdirection and other times as an experiment (nothing more, nothing less) especially when it really does not matter and it is not really core to our direction and market domination strategy for any given region. I would have to differ from the movie version in that if you tried to run your business in the fashion that Jim Nash discussed in theory you might do well for a while, but would eventually get hammered in the market place, whether or not you actually were able to sleep with a brunette when you wanted the blond with the big bust (go see the movie, you will understand that comment). In theory it sounded wonderful in the movie yet would not take you very far in the cut throat world of business, even though the regulators always want to level the playing field, more often then not they are manipulated agents for the competition as indicated by Adam Smith, Carl Marx and Rodney Dangerfield in "Back to School." The fact is that even the referees of business, namely the regulating bodies who want to see the playing field leveled usually tip it in the favor of a politically powerful and well connected companies which fund the campaigns of the over see'ers (politicians). Once the regulatory bodies find they have been duped rather than bring it up with the politicians, they want to punish all the players in the industry and kick them out of the game, of course this hurts the fans (consumers) and then the game (industry) and then the referees and fans are not needed (read; "When Atlas Shrugged" By Ayn Rand). Negotiating Technology Contracts Have you ever tried to negotiate a deal for software, computer equipment, or consulting services with a technology company? The task can be daunting. Unfortunately, the sales forces of most IT companies are armed to the hilt with techniques to get the best deal for them, and not necessarily the best deal for you. And even worse, most of us computer folk (like myself) have never been trained in the art of negotiation, so it can be difficult to spot a snake in the grass. Before you begin negotiating a technology deal, know what you're getting in to.
|
