From a match to the lantern

Where did the quest take you?

Here is how the story started:
It started with a match …
It started with a match … Part II

Stunned at my success at truing a match into 59 francs I called in to what would be my last transaction. I was running out of time. It was another gift shop with lost of items that looked more expensive than they were. The assistant and I hated and started to select what might be a good trade.

We both know that the retail price is no where near the acquisition price so I thought I was on to a good thing, that is until the owner came back in. At first she, the owner, was somewhat shocked at my proposition but rapport is a beautiful thing.

Remember I am in Zurich and to start with this lady wouldn’t open up in English. with a bit of banter, and pointing out that I am only doing what one of her posters on the wall was saying …

”If you don’t ask for what you want, you won’t get it”,

we became friend in trading. The big challenge here, for me, was she didn’t rate the price tag on the fake lavender. She told me in fact that the quaintly was awful (not her word obviously) and not worth anything other. That said I now believe this to have been a savvy negotiating tactic as I walked out of this shop with a proper gift.

A beach style lantern complete with candle and a price tag of 94 francs.

From a single valueless match to a lantern priced at 94 franc in just over an hour.

So, what can I learn from this?

• in any negotiation make sure you are talking to the budget holder
• in any negotiation the other person is always negotiating too
• build rapport and keep it building politeness and humour go a long way
• value and price are not always related

 

CREDITS

Thanks to Martin Daubney for sharing his learning experience
www.inspirecoaching.com

Martin is a successful Executive Coach with many years of experience working with large corporations and Small Business Owners. He helps leaders to overcome limitations to their growth.

“Liberating potential & creating edge both exemplified through encouraging of people to step outside their comfort zone and then in coaching to help them deliver.”

LINKS

www.industryrockstar.com

Facebook Page

#kaneandalessia

 

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LINKS

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Interview with Valentin Spiess: Fluxdock and i-Art

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It started with a … match

How did the quest continue?

Here is how the story started:
It started with a match …

On the quest to understand what value is:

Over the road was a small independent florist. My strategy, as it emerged was to target business owners rather than franchises or chain shops. On the way in I noticed some small plants outside for between 12 and 18 francs.

A birthday card for a small plant? Now that has to be a good deal (for me). It was nice and cool inside but as I entered I noticed the 4 women who worked inside, and fortunately one of them was the business owner. She patiently listened to my story, delighted in my feature and benefit sale of the new and unused birthday card, revelled in the banter and did the deal on a real lavender plant. Onwards and upwards.

Success breads success and bored with my own I entered a gift shop that had a sale on. This time the owner was not in the shop and would be away some time. However, on hearing the story it was clear the two ladies in this shop wanted to help.

Please write this down

When you hear these words, it means that the following statement is important.
Really important. It also means that you are most likely listening to Kane Minkus 🙂

Alessia and Kane Minkus

Since Friday the 3-Day START AT THE TOP Seminar is held in Zurich, Switzerland. The task and goal = empowering business owners to realize their dreams and impact their communities.

It is actually quite funny how these words “please write this down” actually make people write them down. School has engraved the words so deeply into our brains that as soon as the words are said, the intended action follows. Here are a few examples:

• A business is about helping people.
• In business positioning is everything.
• Ideas are worthless – Execution is everything.

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It is great meeting so many Swiss based entrepreneurs.

Looking forward to further connecting with you …

 

LINKS

www.industryrockstar.com

Facebook Page

#kaneandalessia

It started with a … match

Learning is great. In fact learning is a life time task. There are some things you can only learn by doing. Good education and training focus on exactly that.

Here is a story from a challenge participants were given in the worldclass mentorship program – Industry Rockstar – to really understand how negotiating for value makes you feel.

This is how it works:
You start with a match and go out on the streets, in stores or wherever you desire to exchange that match for something of higher value. After that you do the same with the object you got. And you keep on going for a certain amount of time. Or until you decide to stop.

From a match to a lantern … Creating Value.

There is an old expression where I come from, and you may have something similar where you are. It’s something about knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Surely it would be better to understand or see the value despite the cost? And does the price tag indicate the value? Probably not in my recent experience.

Anyway … what is value?

A few days ago in Zurich I found myself in a group of 30 started with a match in my hands.

It was actually a very small match and intrinsically held no value at all, unless it was the last match held by Winston Churchill as he was about to light his last cigar. Then suddenly the value of the match increases, for some people and so it goes.

Sadly, my little match had no such provenance. It was just a match that I was challenged to generate some value with or from.