How to get a stranger to agree to something (HN London May 2014)

Andrew Fogg, founder of import.io on negotiation.
import.io: turn any website into a spreadsheet or an API
People negotiate every day and try to motivate teams, customers and investors to do stuff

1) Getting a meeting

Clearly articulate to yourself who you want to meet, what’s their job title and role in their organization?
Try to get introductions from others first
Once you know who you want to meet, find out where they go to meet people
When agreeing on meeting send calendar invite so it can go straight into the diary

Either help businesses save money or help them make money
Then either
- Identify a budget that is spent with another supplier, so they don’t have to find new budget
- Insert your product into the customer acquisition procress -> then more money spent with you always means they make more money
Avoid joint venture/profit share
Ask for a lot then come down
Avoid positional bargaining (focussing on one number, e.g price, instead should do negotiate scope/IP/…)

Get one written/find content online
Everyone wants to sign on their own paperwork, you should too
Avoid redlines, people insisting on their own terms
- Have a ‘standard’ document on your website and reference that, customer is less likely to want much customization
- At first fight all changes then concede later so people can report successes in their organization

Smile and build rapport as quickly as possible, plans for weekend, chilren, etc.
Ask people whether what you are about to buy is good.