Newt Gingrich has repeatedly called Mitt Romney a liar. And Romney has incessantly focused on Gingrich’s personal ethics and effectively accused Gingrich of being a sore loser.
And remember the 2008 primary battle between President Barack Obama and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? It was not pretty.
Personal attacks seem to have become the norm in high-stakes politics. But business and legal negotiations are not immune.
Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels admittedly left millions of dollars on the table when he passed up free agency and signed an $85 million, five-year deal with the team. In announcing the deal, he said “Could have got more, whatever. Who cares?”
You might suggest that it’s easy to say this when you’ve just signed a deal worth $17 million a year.
“It’s your turn,” he said. “I conceded on the close date and it’s time for you to move and extend the royalty term.” This “reciprocity” standard – it is “fair and reasonable” for you to do this for me because I did something like this for you in the past – can be powerful in many negotiations.
It’s especially applicable in family-related negotiations during the holiday season, both in conjunction with parties and gift giving.
