Bureaucrats, confirmed, Administrators
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adds Negotiating section
# [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0595402178 The Tech Contracts Pocket Guide: Software and Services Agreements for Salespeople, Contract Managers, Business Developers, and Lawyers 0th Edition
by David Tollen]
== Negotiating ==
* '''Listen'''. Listen to the other side - don't simply advance your own agenda. Understand what your client wants/needs
and WHY they believe they want/need it.
* '''Educate'''. Many of your clients will have little experience with software development agreements. Take a little time
to educate them about milestones, warranties, and other important terms. You'll nearly always develop credibility
when you take the time to educate your prospective client, and this will help you when you negotiate those terms.
* '''Agree'''. You should agree when you can. Many minor issues are not worth disagreement. Think about your client's
points from THEIR perspective and find ways to acknowledge their points and concerns.
* '''Reframe'''. Whenever you can, find ways to reframe issues instead of rejecting them. If you reject something your
client proposes, you'll put them on the defensive. Find ways to reframe their ideas or points and to move the
conversation further. If you're not sure how to reframe something, ask your client to clarify and in that process, ask
questions that help you to reframe the conversation.
* '''Know Your Limits'''. You should always know your walk-away position. In every negotiation, you'll have terms that
you can concede and others that you cannot. Understanding this in advance of the negotiation will help you to
better articulate your views and to avoid wasting a lot of time. Make such terms clear to your client but don't make
If you're looking for good books about negotiation, I recommend: ''Getting To Yes'' and ISBN 0553371312 'Getting Past No''.
Let's start things off with "Government Contracting" is hard. It takes a lot of knowledge, experience and effort to become approved as a vendor for any given state or federal entity.
[http://www.kisbd.com/ The Knowledge Institute for Small Business Development], run headed by my friends Dr. Deborah Osgood and husband Dr. William Osgood, offers a wealth of great resources and experience to draw from.
== Govt. Contracting Resources ==