Get up and Negotiate! – Nicolas Caron

Negotiation is not a Combat Sport

Nicolas challenges the traditional approach: “For me, negotiation is not a combat sport. Not everything is a power struggle, not everything is a boxing match.” He criticizes the warlike advice proliferating on LinkedIn and elsewhere, suggesting preparing “as if going to battle or war”.

“I’m really not comfortable with all these warlike terms, this tension, and this power struggle,” he confides. His philosophy is based on a simple truth: nothing is that serious. When looking back at one’s career, very few negotiations have had a truly decisive impact on our professional or personal lives.

The Fable of the Hen and the Pig

Nicolas illustrates his philosophy with an illuminating metaphor: “To make an omelet, the hen contributes, but the pig is involved because it’s a part of itself that it must give.” In a business negotiation, we are the hen, not the pig.

The real stakes are primarily on the client’s shoulders: if we miss a deal, we pursue other opportunities. If the client misses a purchase, they will suffer the consequences for weeks, months, or even years. This realization allows for approaching negotiations with more serenity and less stress.

Putting your Ego aside when Facing “Old Monkeys”

Faced with the pressure tactics of experienced negotiators, Nicolas advocates a disarming approach: “Putting your ego aside means being able to distance yourself, not forgetting your objective, and doing business.”

When someone you’re talking to becomes aggressive or uses manipulative tactics, it often reflects tremendous internal pressure. “The more aggressive the person you’re talking to, the more pressure they feel about the business—sometimes much more than you.”

The recommended approach: choose kindness over aggression, truth over bluff, calm over tension. This strategy disrupts negotiators accustomed to “fights” and shifts the ground to collaboration.

Revolutionizing the Pricing Approach: the Fair Price

Nicolas revolutionizes the traditional anchoring approach by proposing the concept of a “no-regret price”: “The price below which I don’t want to do the deal, which ensures my profitability and allows me to take minimal risk in terms of competitiveness.”

He directly criticizes the classic method: “If I offer you something at 110 when I know the real value is 100, no matter how I look at it, it seems to me that’s called a lie.” Building a relationship by starting with a lie makes him deeply uncomfortable.

The fair price offers three advantages: it is without regret for the seller (profitable and competitive), without regret for the client (they won’t discover they were “misled”), and it makes the salesperson much more convinced and convincing.

The NONO Method: Present, Accept, Re-explain

Nicolas develops a three-step method to defend his fair price:

First, present the no-regret price with conviction and authenticity, without artificial wiggle room.

Second, calmly accept resistance: “You really have to accept, in the deepest sense of the word, that the client might want to challenge the price.” This sincere acceptance often disarms the buyer and creates a climate conducive to dialogue.

Third, re-explain the ‘why’ of the ‘how much’ with the “snail method”: taking the time to detail all justifications for the proposal, allowing the client to understand the value and find an honorable “way out”.

The Error of Regrettable Concessions

Citing William Ury from “Getting to Yes”, Nicolas reminds us that “we are the only ones who can make concessions that we later regret.” It’s our decision whether or not to accept going down to levels that don’t satisfy us.

“You decide, it’s your will,” he insists. The buyer does their job by seeking the best price, but it’s up to the seller to decide whether or not to enter this game, keeping in mind the economic reality of their proposal.

In a nutshell…

• Negotiation based on trust and authenticity surpasses warlike approaches in building lasting relationships
• The fair price eliminates initial lies and strengthens the salesperson’s credibility while simplifying price defense
• Sincerely accepting objections and taking the time to explain creates a climate conducive to a positive conclusion

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