“Luis’s tardiness screamed, ‘This isn’t important to me.’”

Why First Impressions Matter: The Tale of Late Luis and the Lost Restaurant

Luis found himself standing outside a charming little restaurant he’d dreamed of buying, wondering where it all went wrong. He was supposed to be negotiating the deal of a lifetime, but instead, the restaurant owner had stormed off, leaving Luis with nothing but questions and a cold shoulder.

Let’s rewind a bit. Luis, like many a busy bee, got caught in traffic and showed up a fashionable (or not so fashionable) twenty-five minutes late. To make matters worse, just as he was about to walk into the restaurant, his buddy Carlos called. Instead of silencing the call, Luis decided to keep chatting, adding another five minutes to his tardiness.

When he finally sat down with the seller, Luis, still in the phone call mindset, blurted out, "Tell me about your restaurant." The owner, unimpressed and insulted, stood up and declared, “No discounts for this guy! He buys at full price or not at all!” And with that, he left.

Luis’s Negotiation Blunders:

1. Skipping Prep Time: Luis thought he could just wing it. Big mistake. Successful negotiations start long before the actual meeting—by gathering intel on the business, crafting a list of questions, and setting clear financial limits.

2. Bad Manners on Display: Showing up late and staying on the phone? That’s a recipe for disaster. Respect is key in negotiations, and Luis’s tardiness screamed, “This isn’t important to me.”

3. Falling for Manipulative Tactics: The seller, frustrated by Luis’s behavior, used a classic aggressive tactic to throw him off. Luis wasn’t prepared to recognize or counter it, and it cost him.

If only Luis had spent a little more time preparing, understanding the seller's goals, and keeping his phone on silent, he might have walked away with a great deal instead of a missed opportunity.

Checklist for Negotiation Success:

• Invest Time in Preparation: Spend three times as much time preparing as you plan to spend in the meeting itself.

• Respect the Clock: If you’re running late, always inform the other party and seek their approval.

• Recognize and Resist Manipulative Tactics: Understand these tactics so you can counter them effectively.

• Maintain Professionalism: No matter how tempting, don’t let arrogance creep into your negotiations.

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