Nathan Hruby wrote: ... > You're a customer, they should be able to try > to fit your needs, esp. if their service comes with a premium > pricetag. Bringing the person on your side who signs the checks might > be helpful too, if they are on the same page as you. > > -n > Don't bring the person who signs *your* checks, but rather make sure that the person who signs the backup team's checks is present.
I learned this from a professional negotiator - never bring the person who can say 'yes or no' into the meeting. This gives you more bargaining power. i.e., you can say 'well, I can't agree to that without talking to <x>'. However, if the person who signs the checks of the other team is present, they can't say: "Well, we need to talk to our boss first before we can change the agreement". This is why time-share salesmen insist that both members of a couple attend their sessions, and why you should not go as a couple to any such meeting (or when buying a car, for example). You may very well have the right to say 'yay or nay', but you don't have to let the salesman/vendor know that. The salesman/vendor also cannot pit one of you against the other (whether it be spouses or you and your boss) and maneuver you into a poor (or expensive) agreement on the spot. I know that this is an aside from the technical topic - but as I've saved myself from thousands of dollars of expense and from a number of unsuitable contract arrangements by exploiting these techniques, I believe that it is valuable enough to bring up here. Also, if we're ever in a negotiation - bring your 'boss'. :-) - Richard _______________________________________________ Tech mailing list [email protected] http://lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators http://lopsa.org/
