Best Practices in Negotiation – Consider Accepting Donations in Lieu of Pay!
When I was running an honors conference at a fine liberal arts university, one of my guest lecturers, a chap I knew in grad school who had later become a minor academic luminary, asked attendees at the end of his talk: “Would you pay me for the quality of information you received, here?”
He wasn’t asking them for money, but to endorse the value of what he already tendered.
Finding his question quirky, counter-intuitive, and an odd way to negotiate support, I chatted with him later on, and impishly admonished: “The key, my friend, isn’t whether an audience will pay to get out; it’s whether they’ll pay to get in!”
I went on to have a very successful career in consulting, and even wrote a how-to book on the topic, partly to straighten out knowledgeable but commercially confused colleagues, such as my pal, who simply didn’t have the best financial instincts.
However, times have changed.
As I’ve noted in many articles, the Internet has ushered in an age in which lots and lots of folks refuse to pay anything, up front, to “get into” seminars or to access information products such as consulting and articles. Search engines such as Google have spoiled them, giving the palpable impression there are hundreds if not more authorities on every topic, and some will advise without charge.
Given the ubiquity of “free,” I think we might want to reconsider our salary negotiation strategy, and start by revisiting my academic buddy’s concept of “paying to get out,” though the tale I’m about to tell will put a different spin on it.
I visited a spiritual advisor, upon the urging of my relatives who expressed bona fide satisfaction with the “results” he produced in their lives.
This gentleman did not charge by the hour or consultation, which in my case lasted about ninety minutes, including an introductory “Why I’m here and what I hope to get” recital.
That is, he didn’t negotiate a given rate, but said, quite affably, he does accept donations. Some of the oil paintings in his western-style living room, for instance, were gifts for services.
I elected to simply hand him some cash.
He seemed pleased, and I was in the same mood because his ministrations were calming and I wanted to express gratitude for helping those I love to feel a little happier.
Giving him a reward also made me feel benevolent, whereas PAYING him a specific, preordained amount, just might have made me feel reluctant, remorseful, or may have agitated the miser in me.
Odd how voluntarism works!
Anyway, I’m going to try it. The next few times I am asked for my expert opinion I’ll state there is no charge, however I do accept donations.
I’m especially interested in discovering:
(1) Whether ardent non-payers will begin to pay;
(2) Whether those that are used to paying will pay less, the same, or even more.
I’ll report my findings later–perhaps for a small donation!
Dr. Gary S. Goodman teaches his original seminar, “Best Practices in Negotiation” at a number of universities, corporations, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies. A top-rated keynote speaker at conventions and conferences around the world, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, and more than 1,500 articles, which appear in approximately 25,000 publications. An attorney and communications professional, his expert commentary is featured on CNBC television and on numerous radio stations. Additionally, Dr. Goodman is the creator of Nightingale-Conant’s successful audio seminar: THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.
See: http://www.nightingale.com/prod_detail~product~Law_Large_Numbers.aspx His web site is http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be reached at gary@customersatisfaction.com
