We had some fun asking one of our SNI professionals, Jeff Cochran, a master facilitator, some questions. From teaching negotiations abroad to how to survive living with four teenagers, Jeff certainly covers it all.  1.      Where have you been recently?  Last month, I was in London delivering training and consulting for General Reinsurance, but I have spent the bulk of my time this month in Florida working with a few different clients in the health care industry delivering negotiation skill building sessions.  2.      Do you do anything differently when training abroad?  I speak with an accent. No, it is a common misperception that negotiations have to be tailored to individual cultures, styles, and genders. While those items are important, I think that the concepts that we teach are applicable in every instance. So we’re certainly aware of the cultures in which we teach and of nuances that might change our approach subtlety, however our core tenants are going to be viable regardless of where and to whom we teach. 3.      How do you determine how to customize your programs?  That’s interesting. That again varies depending on the customer. It has been as straight forward as telephone interviews. Yet, we sometimes do ride-alongs so that we can experience the same challenges that our participants face. In one instance, it was as in-depth as attending a cadaver lab and conducting spine surgery on a cadaver and an anterior hip replacement on another cadaver just so I would understand better what sales reps are confronted with on a daily basis. 4.      You teach negotiation skills professionally. Do you ever use it in your personal life?  Yeah right now with my own children ages 13 and 14 and we’ve brought over my nieces from Nepal to study in the US ages 15 and 16. You can imagine having a house full of teenagers, consistently there’s opportunities to use the conflict resolution skills that are part of our negotiation training, especially in my house with my wife, two children, and two nieces. We have all three girls living in one bedroom so there are constant issues over space, clothes, hair bands, all that kind of stuff.  One of the things that has been interesting in having the Nepali girls come live with us is how quickly people adjust and adapt to their new surroundings. Things that would’ve been seen as luxuries in Nepal are suddenly must-haves. You can imagine the correlation with negotiations. When people go into a deal, it’s very important to remember the things we really need versus the things we really want and making a distinction between the two. 5.      What celebrity would be a great SNI facilitator?  An excellent facilitator would be a combination of Alex Trebek and Kim Kardashian. Alex Trebek because he always seems to have all of the answers. Kim Kardashian since there’s obviously an entertainment element involved in our sessions and I can’t think of many people who would be better to look at for eight hours. So, if we could combine those two personalities, we’d have a pretty good one. Jeff Cochran at work.

SNI President, Mark Jankowski, wrote an article that discusses what the emergence of 3-D virtual worlds means for the training business. To learn how immersive storytelling, and identity assumption role-plays in virtual worlds are changing the way corporate trainers deliver their content. Click here to read Mark’s article.

In a recent article he wrote for the Baltimore Sun, SNI Chairman, Ron Shapiro, examines the negotiation and deal-making aspects of the Congressional debt ceiling negotiations. To read about how the basic principals of Ron’s best selling book, The Power of NICE, could benefit congress in their negotiations, please click here.

We had a chance to sit down with our CLO, John Buelow, to discuss new developments in SNI’s training delivery methods. Additionally, John gave us an inside look at the customization process for SNI programs. What are you currently working on? There are three main things are going on right now. First, I have been repurposing all of our negotiations content to e-Learning and virtual platforms. We are trying to meet the needs of organizations with smaller budgets by offering alternatives to the traditional, more expensive classroom-based training. Second, I have been developing content along with Mark Jankowski to develop our influencing course. We are doing research and field observation in the areas of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to give them the psychology behind the negotiation such as: Why do the things that we teach really work in the field? And thirdly, I am in charge of customizing and producing material and delivering programs for a wide variety of our clients. So, our traditional customized negotiations programs are all part of my responsibility to deliver. How do you go about customizing a program? Typically, we engage with a client very early in the sales process to let them know that we do not sell a standard program. We are immersed in their business so that when we teach negotiations, we teach it in a language and a format that uses examples that are very familiar to the audience. This allows us to accelerate the learning curve. Once we explain to our client that this is our process, typically I will interview critical stakeholders on the executive team, and then I interview job performers. In many cases, we become embedded in the organization. We observe them and take all of that information that we see and we make recommendations on how the content needs to be customized in order to have maximum impact. By the time we complete an engagement we often know our clients’ businesses so well that we find ourselves providing consulting/advice way beyond the scope of our programs - an indication of a true partnership. Are you seeing any changing trends with the companies you are working with? Certainly in the pharmaceutical business the ever increasing rules and regulations are producing new challenges in our field. Also, everyone is much more budget conscious than they were 5 years ago due in large part to the global economy. In addition, I have noticed audiences are much more engaged. Whether it is sales people or negotiators, people are looking for an edge to help them maintain their margins and to close more deals.  How do you feel about e-learning or virtual platforms, especially in light of the success you’ve had delivering the programs in the classroom? We believe that the skills we teach in our negotiation programs can be greatly enhanced with the study of strategic questioning tactics, the psychology of influence, and by offering a wide range of reinforcement options to maximize the transfer of learning to the job. That’s one of the main reasons why we are embarking to the e-learning and virtual learning paths. We are trying to teach the foundational skills in the classroom and then offer a variety of delivering channels for our reinforcement and advance skills.

In a previous post we discussed a negotiation tactic that we refer to as "Higher Authority".  Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re in the process of solidifying a deal and the person you’re dealing with has got you handshake away from completion and then drops the infamous line, "This looks good, and now I’ll just have to ask my boss/client/spouse/committee if this is acceptable before it’s final."? Click on the image below to view a video that will help you overcome "Higher Authority" or use it to your advantage.

Getting a Raise Using the Prep Planner: In today’s economic environment, it is harder than ever to get a raise at work.  On the other hand, people who have not had raises in several years may be in a great position to get that raise.  When we talk about effective preparation, it is important to have precedents to establish the justification of the salary you will request.  There are several precedents you can use: Find out what other similar jobs pay (you can find them at payscale.com and glassdoor.com.) Use prior percentages of increases that you have received in the past to justify that percentage again. Uncover possible examples of ‘bonus for performance’ opportunities that have been given by your company. Look for ancillary economic benefits provided to others in the organization such as company cars, additional vacation days, or opportunities to work from home. While precedents are important to establish, the other elements of the preparation planner, such as you alternatives (and theirs), interests (what can you do to help the business make/save money), and walk away (your willingness to leave if you do not get the raise you want).  While asking for a raise in these challenging times is difficult, it is often said: "much is lost for the want of asking…"

Due to our involvement with NBA teams, SNI has been keeping a close eye on the NBA lockout. The following link is to an interesting article on the NBA’s labor negotiations. Click here to view the article

Purchasing a used car, like any negotiation, is a "process and not an event" and at the Shapiro Negotiations Institute, our process is based around the Three Ps: Prepare, Probe, and Propose. In a three part series we are going to walk you through how to effectively negotiate the purchase of a used car. The first step in this process is to prepare. The best source of information in your preparation to purchase is used car is Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds, both of which are available on the internet. These services will tell you the "standard" value for the make and model of car you are purchasing. The key item to remember, however, is that these services will provide you only with the "standard" value. Depending on the condition of the particular used car you are purchasing, it could be worth substantially more, or substantially less, than the value stated by these services. Regardless, in preparing for negotiating the purchase of a used car, Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds is the first place to turn. Attached is a copy of our Preparation Planner, a tool that you can use to get in a systematic preparation habit to make sure you’re ready when you sit down to negotiate. Click here for a copy of the Master Preperation Planner.

In the second part of our three part series on negotiating the purchase of a used car, we will teach you how to effectively probe. After preparing for your car purchase, you need to dig for information behind the other side’s position- determine the real interests or needs of the private seller/dealer- this is what probing is all about. The following ten questions should always be asked when purchasing a used car: i. Why is this car priced above (or below) the Kelly/Edmunds Value? ii. How long have you had this car on the lot? iii. Do you have the factory report? (indicates recalls or warranty repairs) iv. Do you have the vehicle history report? (indicates history based on VIN #) v. Do you have the repair history report? (indicates major/minor repairs) vi. Can I see the actual inspection ticket? (indicates who/what where/when of inspection) vii. Is the vehicle certified? What is the extended warranty? viii. What is the dealer warranty? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days? ix. What additional services do you offer? Free towing? Free Oil? x. Have you offered or are you planning to offer any specials? Holiday Sales? Asking these questions will help you in three ways: 1) it will help you understand the condition of the car; 2) it will help you determine what support the dealer is willing to provide after the sale; 3) it will help you establish reasons for price reductions moving into the Propose phase of the negotiation.

The third and final step in our three part series on negotiating the purchase of a used car is to propose. After you have done your preparation by determining the "standard" price for the car you want to purchase, and after you have asked the questions listed in our previous post on probing, it is now time to enter the proposal phase. You should point out to the dealer the areas where the car or the dealership is lacking and ask what price reduction the dealer is willing to provide. For instance, if the vehicle history report demonstrates frequent repairs, then what discount from the offered price (or the Kelly Blue Book price) is the dealer willing to give you? Likewise, if the dealer is not willing to provide you with information of services, how much of a reduction in price are they willing to offer? For instance, if the vehicle is not certified, or if the dealer does not provide services like Free Oil or Free Towing like other dealers, how much of a discount are they willing to offer you? As we teach in all negotiations, remember, let the other side make the first offer, do not accept their first offer too quickly, and when you are making an offer "aim high" (or in this instance, "aim low"). As with any negotiation, the more alternatives that you have, the more effective you will be in the negotiation. If the used car you are looking to purchase is a one of a kind Jaguar and there are no other dealers that sell this type of vehicle, then you may not be in a good position to negotiate. But if you are looking for a BMW that is less than 5 years old and you are willing to choose from different colors and models, then you will be in a stronger negotiation position. Likewise, if you limit yourself to shopping at one dealer, you alternatives will be limited. We suggest that you look both at Franchised Dealers who sell new and used cars, as well as Independent Dealers who sell used cars only. You will likely find cheaper prices at the Independent Dealers, but they will not provide you with the same amount of information prior to the sale or the service after the sale that a Franchised Dealership would. One tactic would be to play the Franchised Dealership off of the Independent Dealer, asking the Franchised Dealer to provide all the services at the same price as the Independent Dealer, or asking the Independent Dealer to lower their pricing even lower to make up for the lack of information about the car prior to the sale, or their lack of service after the sale. Ultimately the decision will come down to whether you want the absolute lowest price with very little service from the Independent Dealer, or if you would be willing to pay a little more from a Franchised Dealer based on the fact that you have more knowledge and after the sale service. Either way, you can use the Three Ps and the tips in this article to negotiate your most effective deal when purchasing a used car

One of the key philosophies we believe in at SNI is that both sides can win in a negotiation.  This does not mean that both sides can get everything they want.  Rather, it means both sides can walk away from a negotiation satisfied.  One side will always "WIN", but the other side can also "win".  To be an effective WIN-win negotiator, you have to be able to identify what you really want and what the other side really wants. The following is an excerpt from the book "The Power of NICE" by Ron Shapiro, Mark Jankowski, and Jim Dale. Mark likes to tell a story about his niece that shows how a clever 2-year-old was able to utilize Win-win negotiation to get what she wanted.  Adrienne, my 2-year-old niece, displayed one of the more effective uses of the WIN-win maxim: "The best way to get what you want is to help them get what they want."  Adrienne likes nothing better than being carried around, all day long, every day, but her parents, wanting her to realize that when you grow up, you don’t get carried around, wanted to break her of this habit.  When her pleading, "Pick me up!" began to go unanswered, she modified her approach.  In no time, she was looking up at her parents, offering her outstretched arms, saying, "Hug.  Hug!"  Who could ignore that affectionate request?  Then, when her father bent down to give his little princess a hug, Adrienne would latch onto his neck, he’d straighten up, and guess what?—she was being carried around.  She got what she wanted—being carried—by giving him what he wanted—a hug.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Kim Talbott 800-665-4764 kim@shapironegotiations.com www.shapironegotiations.com RONALD M. SHAPIRO RECEIVES HIGHEST SPEAKER RATING AT THE 2011 ASSOCIATION FOR FINANCE PROFESSIONALS ANNUAL CONFERENCE Boston, MA, December 15, 2011 - Ronald M. Shapiro ranked 1st out of over 400 speakers at the Association of Finance Professionals (AFP) Annual conference this year. Other speakers included CNN senior political analyst David Gergen, 11-time NBA Champion and Celtic legend Bill Russell, and former President Bill Clinton. The AFP annual conference, held at Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in 2011, has been providing world-class education covering current issues to finance professionals for 30 years. This year was the second highest rated in the conference’s history. The AFP annual conference hosted over 6,000 treasury and finance professionals from over 1,500 companies. Ron Shapiro, Chairman of Shapiro Negotiation Institute, led an educational session on "Negotiation and Influencing Techniques for Getting the Deal Done", which taught a systematic process to negotiating with suppliers, vendors, customers and peers that helps to maintain an ongoing business relationship long after "the deal is done". "Of the over 400 speakers at the AFP Annual conference this year, Ron scored the highest, both for the session and for the individual speaker scores. Ron’s speaker score, on a 5 point scale, was 4.89 and his session scored a 4.83 on the same scale. Extraordinary". Says Mary Ellen Saunders, the Managing Director of Education & Training Programs for the AFP. Sponsors of the AFP Annual conference include American Express, Barclays, BB&T, BBVA Compass, BMO Harris Bank, BNY MELLON, Capital One, Deutsche Bank, Fidelity Investments, Fifth Third Bank, Planview, PNC, Scotiabank, Skylight Financial, SunTrust, and Wells Fargo. For more information about the AFP annual conference, please visit www.afpconference.org/ About Ron Shapiro Expert Negotiator, Sports Agent, Corporate Attorney, Educator, New York Times best-selling Author, Civic Leader, and Founder of Shapiro Negotiations Institute, Ron Shapiro has developed his Negotiations philosophy on four decades of deal-making experience. He is best known as having represented more Major League Baseball Hall of Famers than any other agent, including Cal Ripken, Jr. USA Today called Ron "an effective behind-the-scenes negotiator." His negotiation and influencing techniques have resolved a national symphony orchestra strike, facilitated solutions to human relations problems, and reconciled disputes in government, corporate, and major biotechnology challenges. About Shapiro Negotiations Institute SNI is a premier global provider of training and consulting in the following areas: Negotiation, Influencing, Sales Optimization, and Conflict Resolution. The focus of SNI is on maximizing our clients’ ability to create mutually beneficial and profitable long-term relationships with peers, vendors, and customers - both internal and external to the organization. Our success is built on helping professionals at all levels use a systematic approach to get more accomplished, faster, and with a higher degree of effectiveness. By taking over 30 years of lessons learned in real-life situations, we dig into specific industry and client challenges, so our tools and techniques can be used immediately and repeated with precision. About the Association for Finance Professionals Annual Conference The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) serves a network of more than 16,000 treasury and finance professionals. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, AFP provides members with breaking news, economic research and data on the evolving world of treasury and finance, as well as world-class treasury certification programs, networking events, financial analytical tools, training, and public policy representation to legislators and regulators. AFP is the daily resource for treasury and finance professionals. For 30 years, the AFP annual conference has provided relevant world-class education that covers a variety of challenges, best practices and issues important to finance professionals. Current topics span from payments to risk management, treasury operations to financial planning and analysis. With an unbiased agenda and an abundance of business networking opportunities, this is the most important event for treasury and finance.

Make sure to check out our colleague, Jeff Cochran, as he speaks at the Training Conference and Expo 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia.  He will be speaking on Wednesday, February 15th from 12:15 PM - 3:15 PM at the Georgia World Congress Center. His presentation is based on the award-winning book, The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins- Especially You!, and will focus on a systematic process for negotiating deals will suppliers, vendors, and customers that helps to maintain an ongoing relationship long after "the deal is done". You’ll learn how to negotiate in a way that is profitable, while also satisfying the needs of the other side so that negative ramifications down the line are minimized. You will: Learn habits and tools that can be applied immediately to achieve greater negotiation success Undergo Real Deal coaching Participate in interactive exercises Be able to train others in your organization in this process We’re excited about the opportunity to speak and hope you are able to come see us. For more information about the conference, check out their website at http://www.trainingconference.com/index.cfm

Come see  SNI President, Mark Jankowski, speak at the Training Conference and Expo 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. His presentation is at  9:45 AM - 10:45 AM on February 13th at the Georgia World Congress Center.  Hear about Gen Re’s 3D training, which won the Federal Virtual World Challenge for innovative development of instructional programs. Learn how instructors interact as avatars in dynamic environments and take an active role, such as walking to a letter to indicate their multiple-choice answer.  Discover how they offered negotiations training inside the Sistine Chapel, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, at the North Pole, and on Mt. Everest.  The result?  A program that costs dramatically less, avoids time out of the office, and delivers effective new skills that can be implemented immediately. Mark is considered one of the leading experts in the application of virtual technology for training and development of employees around the globe.  Mark’s accomplishments include: Winner of Federal Virtual World Competition; Author of "Virtual Expert" column for Training Magazine; and Featured Company in Second Life’s @ Work Column. Mark has conducted training in Virtual Worlds since 2008 and participants in his program have been from companies such as: IBM, Michelin, Nationwide Insurance, IGAF, SkillSoft, Northern Trust, GrantThornton, Walgreens, and Abbott Labs. We are excited for the opportunity to speak and hope you are able to come see us. For more information about the conference, check out their website at http://www.trainingconference.com/index.cfm

The room is dark and hazy.  The man across the table from you puffs on his cigar.  A cloud of smoke slowly plumes out of his mouth and rises towards the low-hanging overhead light above the table before dissipating into the air.  A small bead of sweat begins to trickle down your forehead.  Without unlocking your eyes from his, you slide a piece of paper across the table with another new proposal.  He grabs the paper and stares back at you.  The small bead of sweat finally slides down your face and drops onto your shirt. Okay, maybe your negotiation is not this dramatic or intense.  Still, a deadlocked negotiation can be a difficult thing to get around.  Perhaps you can’t agree on the price or timing.  Maybe it’s an issue of control.  Whatever it is, a new approach needs to be taken so that the deadlock can be broken and a deal can be reached.   So how do you do this? Change Locations If you’ve been meeting at your office, offer to go to theirs.  A change in scenery can be good for both parties.  Sometimes a setting can be intimidating, stifling, stale, or negative.  Staring at the same walls can become boring.  Imagination and energies can wane.  Maybe the negotiators have begun to subconsciously associate the surroundings with a lack of progress.  By switching locations, both parties get a new perspective.  They’ll be in a different room, in a different seat, facing a new direction.  It may not seem logical, but attitudes can shift with locales. Change Negotiators Maybe you’re the problem.  It may not mean that you’re negotiating poorly, but that the other party isn’t hearing you anymore.  (You may be guilty of the same thing in reverse).  They are frustrated with how the negotiation has gone and may have tuned you out.   Instead of being stuck at this impasse, bring in a substitute.  Let your partner or associate take over.  A fresh face with a new style can jump-start the stalled negotiation. Call in a Mediator This is a more dramatic suggestion to changing negotiators.  If both sides are stuck without a way out, a mediator may be the best option.  This person must be an expert in negotiations, but not necessarily in the specific topic.  They only need to understand the fundamentals well enough to facilitate progress.  The mediator does not need to get bogged down with the small details—something that has probably happened to both sides.  Instead, the mediator should be focused on the broad goals of the deal.

SNI Chairman, Ron Shapiro, will be speaking at the 2012 MIT Sports Analytics Conference.  The conference goal is to provide a forum for industry professionals (executives and leading researchers) and students to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry.  He will be presenting at 5:00 PM in room 302 at the Haynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts on Friday, March 2nd. Ron’s session, A Systematic Approach to Sports Negotiations, will focus on a systematic approach to negotiation that Ron has developed.  It will include examples of, and ways to, practice this methodical approach. The session is based on over 40 years of experience from representing, among others, more baseball Hall of Fame players than any other agent, serving in other sports as special advisor to team owners and executives respecting negotiations, and training and consulting business departments of teams on sponsorship, media, suite, and ticket sales. To learn more details about the conference, go their website at http://www.sloansportsconference.com/

What does the agent who has represented more Hall of Fame baseball players than anybody in history, the President of the Cleveland Indians, and the former head coach of the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns have in common?  They’re all in the same family.  Ron Shapiro is the baseball super agent who represented the likes of Cal Ripken, Jr., Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Kirby Puckett, and Eddie Murray.  He currently represents, among others, Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer and is a special advisor to professional teams outside of baseball.  Mark Shapiro spent 9 years as the GM of the Cleveland Indians before assuming his current position as President.  Eric Mangini, who is married to Ron’s daughter, Julie, was once the youngest head coach in NFL history.  It’s no wonder that the Baltimore Sun referred to this triumvirate as the "first family of sports management." All three will be speaking this weekend, March 2nd and 3rd, at the MIT Sports Analytics Conference.  Ron’s session is called "A Systematic Approach to Sports Negotiations".  Mark will be part of a panel that discusses "Baseball Analytics".  Eric will partake in two panels: "Football Analytics" and "Coaching Analytics".  It should be an exciting weekend for everybody. For more information on the conference, go to http://www.sloansportsconference.com/

One of the best ways to make a deal—and keep making future deals—is to create a relationship with the other side.  If you can find a connection that goes beyond just business you can make better deals now and in the future.  These connections, however, have to be real.  A fake connection can be seen a mile away and will ultimately get you in trouble.  Take a look at the following list to make real connections that can build relationships.   Environment and Style Desk—The comfort zone.  Everything there is important.  Souvenirs, kid-stuff, photos, company mottos, mission statements. Cars—Alter ego. Fast, plush, safe, exotic, functional. Clothes—The style of the person.  Aggressive, conservative, neat, messy, severe, natural. Speech—Audio clues.  Sports metaphors.  Literature or movie references. War analogies.  Name-dropping.  Place-dropping. Recreational Links Sports (Spectator)—Mementos, souvenirs, autographs. Sports (Participatory)—Trophies, framed scorecards, golf or running shoes on floor, clubs, racquets, rods in corner, bandages, limps. Hobbies—Spare time.  Collecting anything.  Stamps, coins, antiques, toys, books.  Hunting, fishing, diving, photography, golf, gardening, reading, movies, travel. Pets—Dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses.  For fun, for show. Human Connections Families—The obvious connection, often the best. Children—The big connection.  Babies and late night feedings, adolescents and acne, teenagers and driving, college kids and tuitions, married and having babies. Friends—Who knows who you might have in common. Heroes—Mentors, influences. Culture Links Art, Music, Theater, Dance Civic Activities Boards, charities, causes, politics—(be careful). Miscellaneous Ethnic Heritage—Never underestimate the power of a shamrock.  Handle with diplomacy. Ailments—Bad backs, allergies, pulled muscles. Jokes—Some people collect them. Alma Mater—Grade school, prep school, college, grad school, military, fraternity, sorority, Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks, Scouts.

A few days ago we were lucky enough to sit down with our Market Analyst/Deal Coach, Andres Lares, who attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference a couple weeks back.  We asked him a few questions about his time up in the great state of Massachusetts. Market Analyst/Deal Coach is a pretty broad title.  What kind of work do you do at SNI on a day-to-day basis? I am split between three major responsibilities.  My job as Deal Coach stems from becoming so ingrained in our clients’ operations that we are often asked to provide consultation for our clients’ real live deals.  It is unbelievable how much of an impact a trusted, objective party can have on the outcomes of these negotiations. I also work within our Sports Practice, where we train and consult with teams across the four major sports.  We assist business departments with sponsorships, tv/media, suites, and season ticket sales and help front offices negotiate player contracts and trades.  We often also advise on strategic planning and other issues- because we work with teams across the various sports, we’re aware of the best practices across the industry, which is additional value-add for our clients. Finally, I am responsible for developing SNI’s brand, which is all about highly customized and engaging negotiations, sales, and influence training and consulting that provides organizations with a proven return on investment.  It’s an interesting responsibility because once we get in front of people our service sells itself.  The difficulty is just getting our foot in the door and being found with all the noise in the market place. Can you tell us a little about SNI’s Sports Practice? The Sports Practice is all about taking SNI’s systematic approach that has worked so well across industries and implementing it in sports.  Most of our engagements in the sports industry include some training up front and then extensive deal coaching thereafter.  It’s interesting because at first teams are extremely hesitant to work with an outside group because of confidentiality, but it does not take long before we have a visible impact on their operations/bottom line and that rapidly accelerates the relationship and improves the partnership’s effectiveness. Tell us about the role of analytics when developing negotiation strategies for teams/player representation? We tend to focus less on the analytics and more so on using a systematic approach to help them throughout the negotiation.  We firmly believe that the same amount of resources should be spent planning, preparing, and scripting as is used in the collection of data and its analysis. How many MIT Sports Analytics Conferences have you been to? How did this one compare to the others? I’ve been going since the original conference, which I’m fairly certain means I’ve been to 6.  It’s funny, thinking back how a couple of years ago there were only a few hundred people in a basement.  Now it’s become a huge event that takes up a significant portion of Boston’s convention center.  Of course there are pros and cons to the change in size.  It has lost some of the intimate feel due to the increase in size, but this has also allowed the scope to grow, which is great.  It’s really become a huge event with great speakers.  The group has done a tremendous job. Who were some of your favorite speakers at the conference? One of my favorites was Gary Bettman.  He was part of an impressive panel in the morning.  The Toronto Maple Leaf’s President, Brian Burke, was interesting and, as always, hilarious.  Since he’s no longer tied to a team, Eric Mangini was particularly open and candid, which was great.  Of course, we can’t forget Ron Shapiro.  He was a star. I heard this conference was full of sports nerds anxiously waiting with their calculators.  How would you describe most of the people there? Now that it’s so big, it’s actually become pretty diverse.  The conference even has added a commercialized trade show.  It has everyone from the actuary trying to break into the sports industry to team executives trying to get a sense of what’s out there and how to stay on top of new trends. Can you tell us a little bit about how Ron’s session went? We were very pleased with the attendance and participation.  It was exciting to receive lots of follow-ups requesting check lists or more information.  I think this was a direct result of Twitter’s high activity during the conference.  Thank you to everyone that attended! Did you meet anyone interesting at the conference? The presence of English Premier League soccer teams, such as Manchester City and Fulham, and German Bundesliga team, Hamburg, were exciting.  They are impressive organizations because they always feel like they are behind and trying to catch up to North American sports, but in many ways I think they are more advanced.  They are humble, intelligent guys that are always looking for ways to stay ahead.

We recently had one of our colleagues, Bekah Martindale, travel down to Atlanta, Georgia for the Training Conference and Expo 2012.  She was nice enough to sit down with us to talk about her experience. As the newest member of the SNI team, can you talk about what your role is and what your experiences have been like so far? I started about 9 months ago and have been mostly involved in the logistics for our training programs and supporting the marketing team.  At SNI, it seems everyone tends to wear "multiple hats", and because of that I’ve been able to get experience in a variety of areas.  Our team works well because everyone respects and encourages each other throughout the day and we’re always able to collaborate on different projects and ideas in order to get the best results. What exactly is the Training Conference and Expo? Training Magazine organizes the Training Conference and Expo every year to bring together professionals in training, learning, and performance industries for education and networking purposes.  The expo is a way many different organizations can showcase their company and develop relationships with professionals from organizations in need of the products or services they offer. What were some of the main topics discussed and presented at the Training Conference and Expo? SNI’s Mark Jankowski, along with Ann Marie Sidman from Gen Re, spoke on how they have been able to incorporate 3D Virtual Worlds into a corporate training environment.  Another colleague, Jeff Cochran, led a breakout session and did a short 3 hour intro to our core negotiations training program- The Power of Nice. I heard this was your first trade show.  What was your first impression? There was a lot going on! Training Magazine did a good job packing the conference full of education and networking events while simultaneously running the expo presentations. What was your typical day like while you were down there? Andres and I mostly worked the expo part of the tradeshow so we were at SNI’s booth from around 12 pm to 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday.  We met and engaged people with various interests and backgrounds. You coordinate a lot of things for our facilitators who were speaking at the conference.  What’s the best and worst part of that job? Personally, I love to travel so it’s fun for me to help coordinate details for SNI.  Our facilitators are great so that helps make it interesting and enjoyable to be involved planning their trips.  I would say the most challenging part of the job is the stress involved working with the numerous moving parts that come up when planning travel with numerous clients worldwide.  I have to make sure all the pieces are lined up and running without a hitch. Describe your experience at the Training Expo in 3 words. Hands-on, Interactive, Engaging. Besides yourself, who was the most interesting or entertaining person you saw at the Training Expo? Some of the presenters go to great lengths to get the attention of the attendees passing by, and there were some characters there this year for sure. There was one group near our booth, I believe from the Drum Café, that had their team members playing djembe drums.  Another group, dressed in gym clothes with QR codes on the back of their shirts, ran through the expo hall the entire time. We heard there was some chatter about your book shelf display.  Can you talk about why it was interesting and what inspired it? During a brainstorming session before the event, we had the idea to showcase some of our big clients with merchandise that represented their brand, such as a Sherwin Williams paint can or a Baltimore Ravens jersey. The shelf not only helped grab people’s attention, but also showed the versatility of our content; it can apply to many different industries where we’ve gained expertise. We had a number of people ask questions about it, take pictures, and overall I think we had a good response because we tried something different. It intrigued people enough to initiate a conversation with us. Do you have any tips you can offer to somebody about to go to their first training conference? I think it’s important to be creative and engaging while you’re there. There is a lot going on and all the attendees are getting a lot of information thrown at them from all directions, so you want to stand out and leave an impression.

The power of relationships can’t be overlooked.  If you want to do business more than once, relationships make all the difference.  Of course you can be a hit-and-run negotiator by making one deal with somebody that squeezes them for all their worth, but then they will never want to come back and make another deal.  If you make WIN-win negotiations and build bonds, great things can happen in the future. With baseball’s Opening Day beginning tomorrow, we thought it would be a good idea to share a story about the hometown Orioles and their last World Series championship.  Hopefully they’ll be able to bring another championship back to Baltimore in the near future. The following is an excerpt from the book "The Power of NICE" by Ron Shapiro, Mark Jankowski, and Jim Dale.  Ron’s story shows how special relationships and bonds between players and management in 1979 helped the Baltimore Orioles win the World Series four years later. The Orioles fell one game short of winning the World Series in 1979.  It was a team that had all the makings of a World Series winner, if the players could be kept together.  But keeping a team of that caliber together during the dawning of free agency was a real challenge.  Hometown heroes were leaving daily for big bucks in other markets.  It so happened, in the rarest of situations, I represented 15 members of that team.  We had negotiated very hard for every one of them, but we and our clients, also tried to understand the other side, the team. So, when it came time to renegotiate contracts, how many of the players opted to leave Baltimore for greener pastures?  How many did the Orioles decide just weren’t worth the price?  None.  Eddie Murray, Ken Singleton, Rich Dauer, Scott McGregor, Doug DeCinces, Rick Dempsey, Dennis Martinez, among others, all stayed.  They each achieved WIN-win.  They stayed with the team and in the town they wanted and got paid market or near-market value.  That was, and is, unprecedented in modern sports.  It wasn’t because one side caved into the other.  It was because bonds had been made, relationships had been built and deals had been made that lead to more deals. In 1983, the heart of the team was there and that team won the World Series.  It was a long-term dividend of the Power of Nice.

Our chairman, Ron Shapiro, recently traveled to Arizona and Florida to check in on some of his clients during Major League Baseball’s Spring Training.  While he did catch a few innings, most of his time was spent building and strengthening relationships.  It just goes to show that the game is important, but the relationships made outside the lines are just as, if not more, valuable.  Taking the emphasis on relationships that has worked so well as a sports agent into the business world has led Ron to become a change agent. How many Spring Trainings have you been to and how does this most recent trip compare to your first? I’ve been going since 1975, so almost 40 years.  My most recent trip was much shorter than my first trip because Shapiro Negotiations Institute takes up more of my time.  I also used to spend most of Spring Training in Florida because that’s where the majority of facilities were. Now, many teams train in Arizona so I spend about half of my time out there.  Another difference is it’s become a lot less personal now in the sense that the new stadiums and facilities put a greater distance between the players and the fans.  The older facilities allowed for a more personal feel. What was the purpose of your trip? I see players and club officials and spend time with them to learn what’s on their minds.  I actually see relatively few innings of baseball games.  If I watch 2-3 innings of a game that’s a lot.  The purpose of my trips isn’t about seeing games, but connecting with people.  I take the things we preach at Shapiro Negotiations Institute, like building relationships, and apply them. Do a lot of other agents do the same thing you do at Spring Training? It’s always been the case for agents to meet with clients during Spring Training.  It’s a relatively low pressure environment and allows for higher time availability for players.  It’s not the game-to-game grind of the regular season.  Players only play in parts of games so they are much freer, which is great because it allows for more 1 on 1 time. Do you have any memorable stories from this or any other Spring Training? I’m in baseball because I love the people involved in the sport.  This is the time when I get the best opportunity to engage with these individuals.  Meeting with great people and families, like the Mauers, Ripkens, and Pucketts, is a wonderful experience. One memory that stands out was being able to step in to hit a few pitches.  I love the feeling of a wooden bat hitting a leather covered baseball.  When they were kind and threw the ball up to me…it went well.  When they showed me their stuff…it didn’t go so well.

In a recent article published in the Philadelphia Business Journal, Craig Ey tells a story about Ron Shapiro.  In this story, we see that Ron Shapiro’s success has been built off a foundation of respect and kindness.  To read the article, click the link below. Respect, Kindness and Success

Mark Jankowski Co-Founded the Shapiro Negotiations Institute in 1995. He has been an invaluable asset to the organization over the last 17 years, but he will soon be moving on to pursue other endeavors.  A couple days ago we were able to talk to Mark about his time at SNI. How would you describe your 17 years at SNI? Absolutely life changing.  I recall when we started the business in my apartment in 1995.  My kitchen table was my office and the second bathroom was our storage closet!  I never would have known then that I would be fortunate enough to co-author two books, teach on five continents, and work with tens of thousands of participants.  More importantly, I have worked with incredible people at SNI.  Ron Shapiro has been a mentor, partner, and guide throughout my years here.  Todd Lenhart has for many long stretches carried the entire business on his back.  Jeff Cochran is the most incredible facilitator I have ever encountered.  I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I know that as I depart SNI, it is in great hands and extremely well positioned for future growth. What was the vision when you started SNI and do you think that vision has been met? Our first business cards had the following quote:  "Helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential through The Power of Nice."  Over the years, we have had many participants come back to us and tell us that not only did our programs help them do their job better, but it helped them live their lives better.  I recall one instance where a participant told us that he was concerned that his son did not want to go to college and that no matter what was said to the son, he simply refused to budge.  Two weeks after taking our course, he e-mailed to let us know that he used our negotiations approach with his son to convince him to go to college.  Other participants attributed leaps in their career paths to what they learned in our programs.  Our vision was never about revenue or building equity so that we could sell the business.  That is not to say that we are not proud of how much the business has grown over the last 17 years, but from the very start Ron set the vision that if you help the people with whom you touch, the business will take care of itself.  I think that the last 17 years are a tribute to that vision. What has been one of your most memorable moments with the organization? As with many things, my most memorable moment, and most illuminating for that matter, was at the time one of my greatest failures.  Ever since we started the business, people encouraged us to move beyond focusing on just negotiations training.  They told us that if we offered things like leadership training or team building, we could increase revenue by selling more products to our existing clients.  Ron and I always resisted, knowing that we did not have the level of expertise in those areas to deliver the type of top shelf product that we offer through negotiations training.  However one client begged us to do a team building retreat for them. I violated our ‘stick to your knitting’ mantra, and agreed to give it a go.  It was a total disaster.  We held it at Ron’s farm.  We tried to do a row boat race, and the boats sank. Our campfires almost burned down the fields, and 98 degree temperatures made the entire day almost unbearable!  Ron later told me that we created so much chaos at his farm that the migratory geese stopped visiting!  It was then and there that I decided that we would stick to delivering training focused on Sales, Negotiation, and Influencing, and to stay away from other topics in which we did not possess adequate expertise.  All in all, our strategy has served us extremely well.  And to give you a sense of "the rest of the story"…  Several years later I ran into one of the participants in that team building session and I offered an apology for the "less than adequate session."  She looked back at me stunned and said, "That was one of the best team building events we ever had!  People have talked about the chaos and hilarity for years.  It really did give us an experience that bonded us all together.  As a matter of fact, my new company is looking to do a teambuilding session and I was wondering if you would do it!"  We respectfully declined.  The geese had returned to Ron’s farm and I did not want to risk chasing them away again. What do you plan on doing in the future? Several years ago I started to focus on the technology side of the training business.  I have four kids at home and my wife is in a wheelchair and going on the road to do live training simply became impossible.  I decided then to try to find a way to be able to continue to meet our initial vision, but to do so in a way that used technology such as 3D virtual worlds, iPads, Webinars and the like.  It has been a great challenge as it is very difficult to translate a live training experience into an online format.  Of course I do love a good challenge, and I decided to devote my full time and effort to developing ways for both corporations as well as schools to "harness the potential of teaching through technology in order to reach their fullest potential." (Sound familiar?)