Negotation–love it? Flee from it?
It’s been a while since I’ve posted any of the latest installments from Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s ongoing series “The Freelancer’s Survival Guide“–not because they’re not all great, but just because I’ve been too immersed in researching and writing the new book. Hope that’s a good enough excuse.
But I know a lot of us could use advice on negotiating, and here it is. I love her stories of the different negotiating styles–hers and those of the men in her life. I am definitely more like Kris than Dean. See where you think you fall on the unashamed-to-negotiate scale. Wow, is it possible some of you even think it’s . . . fun?
Enjoy!
Hehe. My anti-spam word is “toast.” So is my brain today.
I am definitely more Kris than Dean. I have issues negotiating even in a place where negotiating is a way of life. In college, I studied in Peru and I loved shopping at the artists’ markets. Everything was cheap there, and either handmade or homegrown, and amazing quality, and the vendors expected that you would haggle for every single item from a blanket to a sweater to a bottle of water. I had huge issues with this because everything was so cheap to start with and even living with an upper-class family I didn’t have heat in my house or hot running water that lasted for more than a couple of minutes…so I knew that the vendors at the market probably had even less, and here I was running around with a hundred bucks at my disposal (350 Peruvian Soles Nuevos, a veritable fortune by their standards). Somehow, haggling always made me feel guilty, even though it was so expected that they taught the art of haggling in my class at school. It was the one part of that life that I never did get used to, even worse than not having hot water. I think it’s part of the haggling in fairness thing–how is it fair that I have so much, these people have so little, and I’m the one that’s considered a freak if I’m willing to pay asking price for that gorgeous alpaca and cashmere blanket, when the blanket is big enough for a king-sized bed in the States and the asking price is $25? (My professor was with me in that instance and she haggled it down to under $10. She was a true master haggler.) And I think of that every time I use that blanket.
Tell you what — I don’t have time to make that kind of a hard-and-fast decision, but here’s what I’ll do. If you can get Pam to pipe in, then I’ll agree to abide by her evaluation of my negotiating preference.
Do we have a deal?
Elizabeth, what a great story! And how exotic your life has been–who knew?! I have to say, I’m pretty sure I would feel exactly the way you did in that circumstance. I think you showed kindness and character by paying full price–I’m serious.
Bill, I wouldn’t dare try to get Pam to do anything. So this negotiation has ended. Nice try!