Negotiating for many COs in the federal government is the funnest part of the entire process. This is because it allows them to show their stuff.
I remember when PWC taught us how inside the VA Acquisition Academy. They first gave us a mock scenario where we were supposed to negotiate how we thought proper. As a child, I traded ball cards and watched grownups barter for fireworks. Just as with the “Draft Day” clip, the ways of small town trading and silver screen sensationalization will not get you anywhere.
PWC threw some Ivy League terminology around a basic survival premise. Use what you have.
The first step in negotiating is to establish a rapport with the person and business on the other side of the table. Businesses do that by delivering results. COs do that through communication and administration.
I never recall lacking confidence in communication. I listened to my father conduct face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations as Mayor. Such is how I developed my corporate inflection. As for administration, Dad was a coach. He always told his point guards, “I can’t be out there on the floor with you.” Likewise, I could never sit in a boardroom with my vendors. Therefore, all my communication to my workload in federal service was very detailed.
They all knew we shared a common goal right from the outset of the project.
Next, each side must create circumstances to provide the other side at the negotiation table. Naturally, each side conducts research amidst market value. Some using a single baseline. Some using a multi-baseline approach. Some rely on historical trends. Others forecast the future. Either way, it is a must to show up at negotiations with objectives for each facet of the pending agreement.
Next, negotiations are neither hostile nor public. I know a small town vendor who has tried for years to get a federal contract because they cannot walk by a federal installation without seeing many of what they produce on 95% of them no matter how big or small. They’ve tried many times with multiple CEOs and many COs. I’ve heard the story from some of the best to ever do it. Same response. Same result. Arrogance. Their commercial product has a sterling reputation but they neither understand the nuances of the federal marketplace nor how to properly negotiate. Thus, they conduct business negotiations in crowded big city steakhouses to show off. They still treat the negotiation table as if they were at a casino.
I always began with an overview of the federal program. Then I allowed the vendor to choose where we started. However, I mapped out a course and would never allow them to run a rat maze. Each objective being proposed was spoke aloud in detail as to ensure all were on the same page. Once that was agreed to, the government stance was announced. If necessary, I began with my opening salvo and proceeded onward to agreement.
I cannot stress this next part enough. It is imperative that vendors construct a tiered approach to negotiations as to understand their best and final offer. Yes, I allowed vendors to make calculations during negotiations. Yes, I allowed representatives to mute themselves to conduct discussions. Yes, I even ensured vendors that objectives could be left open overnight to sleep on it. This is because goals which are not attained through unreasonableness are often times a negative experience.
Even though I closed every negotiation with an active contract the process should not be scary but if coffee is for closers understand that I drank it every day for 9.5 years. You will have to YouTube Alec Baldwin’s famous speech in “Glen Garry Glen Ross” because I am unable to embed it here for you.
Negotiations were my calling card. I liked doing them and I was good at them. I treated every vendor like a human being with risk at stake. If vendors were comfortable, I negotiated through email. In all negotiations, I always allowed my vendors to understand fully the perimeters of the agreement ending with a timeline of what it took to get to the finish line. That being said, negotiations aren’t certain and neither is a contract number. I can assist you in getting there but I can’t negotiate for you until December 2023.
If you think I can help then email nicholas.s.robertson@outlook.com for your introductory message and free consultation.
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