[Vnbiz] Business Negotiation -- The Jesus Style

[Tran Dinh Hoanh]

Dear Andre & CACC,


Andre, as promised, here is a story about business negotiation in the Jesus
style, to share with you and our brothers and sisters.

This story happened either in the late 1995 or early 1996.  I was staying in
Hanoi trying to develop a business there.  The place I stayed was Nha Khach
Ban Viet Kieu Trung Uong (The guesthouse for overseas Vietnamese) on Ba
Trieu street.   There was a Vietnamese from France, who I will just call K.,
staying there.  He was the vice president of a French-based IT company.  He
was there to help the Vietnamese government in some computer program. Since
only two of us were "permanent" guests at the guesthouse, we hung out with
each other often.



One day, K. told me: "Anh Hoanh, I think you will be very successful in
business.  You are sharp, you know many things, and you're trustworthy.
Everyone who meets you feels that they can trust you.  So you have to be
successful.   I want to learn more about business from you."



I said, "Thank you. Not sure I would be very successful or not, but I would
love to share with you whatever I know."



Several days later, I had an appointment to meet with the president of an
import company (my "counterpart") to talk about a potential deal.  I was
representing the third largest chicken producer in the US and was planning
to build some chicken plants in Vietnam.   But at that stage, I was at the
first step, i.e., testing and opening the market, by selling US-produced
frozen chicken into Vietnam to see how Vietnam market would take.   I asked
K.: "I will negotiate a contract tomorrow and possibly sign the contract if
the negotiation is successful.  Would you like to sit in to see how I
negotiate?"   He said, "Sure.  I love too."



I checked with my counterpart and asked him if I could bring an assistant
into the meeting, he said OK.  So both of us were there at my counterpart's
office.   (Notes: In many negotiations, people want to use their own office
for "home field" (psychological) advantage.  Many negotiation books will
teach you that.  I purposefully went against that advice. I  agreed to my
counterpart's office to give him the comfort of being in his own office).  We
started out with the Hanoi tea ceremony, then I said, "Let me clear away
things we don't need to talk about first, so that we can talk about things
that we may need to discuss.   First, the price.  I have gotten from my
client the rock-bottom price, which they absolutely can't go lower.   I have
the authority to settle for anything above that bottom price.  I just give
you that price now, so you don't have to negotiate on price with me.   I
don't want to waste your time.  I'd like to do this as fast as I can.  I am
interested in long-term relationship with you.   I have no interest in
having a little more on the price and my client doesn't care about that
either.  Second, my client will need to have a letter of credit from you
before they start shipping their products.   Other than that, I am here to
help you solve all the concerns and difficulties you may have.  Just tell me
what your concerns would be I'll try my best to help."



So we chatted a little and went over a number of issues, which I've now
forgotten.  One of the issues was banking.  My client wanted the letter of
credit from ANZ, my counterpart couldn't afford ANZ because it was so
expensive and it required a huge chunk of deposit.   My counterpart asked if
he could use Vietcom Bank, the only Vietnamese bank recognized for
international transaction then. I said, "I am willing to bet on Vietcom
Bank.  Let's do Vietcom Bank and I will convince my client of that."  We
also went over a number of other logistical issues and potential ways to
cooperate in the future.  After chatting for about an hour, we signed the
contract.



After getting out of my counterpart's office, I asked K.: "How do you think
about the session?"

He said: "It's OK.  You guys talked happily and you signed the contract."

I asked:  "You saw anything else?"

"Not really," he said.

"You didn't notice anything unusual?" I asked.

 "No."

Then I said, "You didn't see us try to haggle or bargain or outdo each
other, did you?"

"That's right.  No."

"You didn't feel that we were doing business negotiation, did you?  It was
more like two guys talking about the weather and soccer, wasn't it?"

"That's right.  Now that you mention it, it was more like social chatting in
a coffee shop."

I said: "That is the point.  I made it so easy and so pleasant that you
didn't even see any business negotiation going on in front of your eyes.  We
just drank tea and chatted and signed the contract."

"Yeah.  How did you do that?"



I said, "Let me explain the process to you. In the old days, negotiation
meant both side trying to outdo and outsmart each other.  I win you lose or
you win I lose.  That is fairly destructive.  Today, everyone learns the new
negotiation theory of win-win.  Both sides win in a deal and no one loses.  The
most advanced books and schools in the world now teach that win-win theory,
do you agree?"

"Yes."

"And you agree that there is no other theory more advanced than the current
win-win theory, right?"

"Right."

"But I do have a more advanced theory.  When we talk about win-win, it
sounds good, but there are still two sides.  My side and your side.  We both
win.  But still two sides.  That means, there is still a distance between
us.  In my negotiation technique, there is only one side, not two
sides.  Before
entering a negotiation room, I check my heart and tell myself that I will
act as my counterpart's assistant.  I will not step into that room to
outsmart him, but only to figure out his problems and try to help him solve
them, exactly as his faithful assistant.  There will be one side in the
negotiation—his side.  I don't have to worry about my side at all.  I
already know exactly what my client has authorized me to do, what I can
settle, what I cannot.  It means, I know exactly what my limits are.  I can
settle for any deal within such limits.  As long as my counterpart agrees to
settle within my limits, I am OK.  So I won't worry about my side.  What I
am concerned is that he may have lots of problems that may hinder the deal.
I have to know about those problems and have to be able to help him solve
them. Once I have solved all his problems, he may be able to sign the
contract.  In order to do that, I have to commit myself, my heart and my
mind to think that I am truly his assistant.  I will feel and think exactly
like his assistant, will try to work for him like his faithful assistant.   If
I feel that my state of mind is not ready to be his assistant, then I won't
step into that negotiation room. I will find an excuse to delay the
negotiation for another day, when my heart is ready.



Once I am in the negotiation room, because I really think in my heart that I
am his assistant, automatically I will talk to him and help him solve the
issues as his assistant.  Usually after about 10 minutes of talking, he will
feel comfortable with me and will trust me, just because I have that
commitment so strong in my heart.  So he will open himself up to me and tell
me one problem after another, including problems he would not have mentioned
otherwise, because of, say, embarrassment, for example, his company doesn't
have enough money for a large load.  Once all the problems are solved, of
course, he will sign the contract.  And there is no haggling or bargaining
because he and I are on the same side mentally."



K. said, "That is fascinating.  That makes a lot of sense.  Where did you
learn that technique?"

"If I give you the answer, you won't believe me," I said.

K said, "I will believe you.  Just tell me."

I said, "I learn it from the Bible."

He said, "Really?  I wouldn't think that the Bible has business
negotiation."

I said, "You would be surprised.  There are lots of stuffs in the Bible.  We
just have to figure it out.  If you want to read about girl, boy and love,
and sweet lips and soft breasts, read Salomon's Songs of Songs.  Really
sensual stuff.  So the Bible is not dry at all as many imagine. But here is
business negotiation.  Jesus said, "Love your enemy.  When someone slaps you
on one cheek, give him the other cheek also."  When I was little, I thought
this was just an idealistic saying without any resemblance to reality.  Most
of the things Jesus said sound so extreme and naïve that you would think he
was a little cookoo in the head.  But as I grew up, I slowly realized that
he was truly a master in human heart. He knew at the deepest level how the
human heart works, and what he said is usually so intelligent that most of
us just can't get it.  One day I pondered over the craziness of the idea of
offering another cheek to the enemy, suddenly I discovered the insight.  Jesus
was not so naïve at all.  He was really practical and strategic.  When you
offer another cheek to you enemy, you turn your enemy into your friend.  There
are no longer two sides.  You have just turned two sides into one side.  Once
your enemy and you have become friend, chances are you would be able to talk
to your friend about things that you couldn't talk to him when he was still
your enemy.  So you may be able to achieve with your friend much more than
fighting against your enemy.   That is the art of turning two sides into one
side to achieve the common good."

K. said, "That is outstanding, I love it.  Are there lots of things like
that in the Bible?"

I said, "Yes.  Lots of them.  But you won't see them right away.  The
insight will come to you whenever it comes.  You can't tell in advance when
you will see something clever.  In the Christian tradition, they say that is
the "revelation of the Holy Spirit."  I think it is similar to the "sudden
enlightenment" (hot nhien dai ngo) in Buddhism.  Whatever it is called, my
experience is that if you keep reading the Bible, one in awhile an
incredible piece of wisdom will jump right at you.  You can read a sentence
one thousand times already, and on the 1001st time, all of a sudden
something astounding would just leap out of the sentence right into your
mind.  That's why I am so fascinated with the Bible and keep reading it so
often."

K. said. "That is interesting.  Can I have a copy?"

I said, 'Sure.  I'll be happy to give you a copy.  Just be patient with it.
If you read it with a serious mind, eventually a lot of wisdom will jump out
at you.  But be patient.  You can't tell when something will jump out.  Just
read."



Then I give him a French copy that I happened to have then.



That is to share with you, Andre & CACC.



Have fun!



Hoanh


-- 
Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
Attorney of Law
Washington DC
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