Negotiation, often seen as a series of strategic maneuvers, is, at its core, an art form. It involves intricate dances of words and ideas, and for entrepreneur Dr. Daniel Moses, it has been the cornerstone of his remarkable journey from an Uber driver to a property mogul with portfolio worth seven million pounds (over 8 million US dollars). Reflecting on his experience, as well as the skills that contributed to his success, Dr. Moses had some insightful advice to share on the value of mindset, creativity, and negotiation skills to building a successful empire and making the impossible, possible.
The Mindset: Unlocking the Power of Possibility
Negotiation, as Dr. Moses underlines, is not a zero-sum game but a collaborative process with boundless opportunities. The foundation of successful negotiation lies in mindset. It’s about embracing a perspective where every interaction becomes an avenue for growth and cooperation.
Dr. Moses stresses the importance of openness, curiosity, and empathy. These traits foster better communication, enabling negotiators to understand and address the needs and concerns of all parties involved. The ability to negotiate with oneself, a concept he exemplifies through his experiences with goal setting and motivating his son, is equally crucial. It’s about finding alignment within oneself before venturing into external negotiations.
The Power of Creativity: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Creativity, often overlooked in negotiation, can be a potent force. It’s about seeing beyond the surface, identifying hidden possibilities, and reframing challenges as opportunities. Dr. Moses’ journey is punctuated with instances where creativity transformed daunting situations into triumphs.
For example, after taking a tremendous financial loss at the start of his journey, Moses had to become a rideshare driver to make ends meeting. Though his money was short, he continued in pursuit of his goal to own property.
He identified a property that he wanted to own, however in order to obtain bank loan, he was going to do a significant amount of remodeling and repairs. He found a contractor, but after being provided with a quote, he realized that he did not have the money required to get the service done.
Most people would have viewed this as an impossible situation and likely given up on the dream of owning the property and rebuilding their business.
Dr. Moses, on the other hand, allowed creativity (alongside his persuasive skills) to guide him in finding a way to make the project work.
He explained to the contractor how the project would work, and how much money he would be getting back once he could obtain the bank loan (and flip the home). Rather than agreeing to the dollar amount and payment terms outlined, he proposed paying the contractor more money, just over a slightly longer period of time. His recommendation was to make an initial deposit (approximately half of the quote) and then the rest would be paid a few months after the project was complete.
In the end, the contractor would end up making more money than he initially asked for, and Dr. Moses was able to secure the investment. All he had to do was sacrifice a little bit of the profit.
The Synergy of Negotiation and Sales
Negotiation and sales are inextricably linked. Dr. Moses’s highlights the importance of blending the two, but he places a particular emphasis on the importance of letting these skills flow as naturally as possible.
For him, it’s all about helping people to see where his particular proposal will benefit the other person as well.
It’s also about learning how to build on your natural strengths and personality, so that you can position yourself in a way that is strong and intentional but also authentic. This will help you to build trusting relationships where people believe that what you are offering is actually mutually beneficial.
As a negotiator, this natural flow should help increase your confidence as well, as you will know that what you are offering is rooted in a true desire to foster collaboration and identify new, exciting opportunities that help both parties grow.
Negotiation is far more than a series of tactical moves; it’s a transformative skill that will allow you to create massively successful deals even in the most seemingly barren landscape. Dr. Daniel Moses’ journey from an Uber driver to a property mogul is a powerful testament to the potential that can be unlocked when one commits to a change in mindset and prioritize developing skills in sales, negotiation, and creative development.
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