The sports industry is filled with
negotiations, a team will negotiate contracts with players, sponsors,
suppliers, partners and so on! So it is a great place to learn and develop
negotiation skills. For this reason I chose to interview Ms. Andrea Atala, Executive
Director of a first division soccer team in Honduras, named Motagua, recently
the team got crowned as champions of Honduras First Division. Besides being the
executive director of Motagua, Ms. Atala has just launched a website called “Acceso Directo” (Direct Access), dedicated
to the promotion and expansion of sports in Honduras. I talked to her about her
different negotiation strategies and projects and her answers provided insights
I will incorporate into future negotiations.
1) How do you manage the human aspect at negotiations?
What strategies do you use?
It is very
difficult to separate the human aspect of the negotiation to the problem.
Negotiating is an emotional process where your ego comes into play quite often.
From your own part, try to be as objective as possible and approach the
negotiation as mechanically as possible, and as for your counterpart try to
appeal to their emotional side to reach your objective. In any negotiation,
having a strategy is integral to your success. More often than not you are not
alone in whatever business you are dealing with, so discuss beforehand with
your peers, map out the key points of your negotiation, establish caps and
floors and once you begin the negotiation stick to your game plan, If you have
a game plan in place your risk of falling out because of your ego or emotions
is reduced.
2) How do
you prepare your position and prepare to understand the other party’s position
when dealing with a supplier?
Negotiation is all about managing expectations.
When haggling for price it is easy to get to the price by doing detailed
research beforehand on what it is you’re buying or selling. Use facts and be
straightforward and assertive on what your limits are. You can manage these
expectations by being an informed negotiator, you will know if someone is going
too low or too high.
3) What is
your position at Motagua, and are negotiating any deal as of this moment for
the team?
I work as Executive Director of a First
division soccer team in Honduras. I am working right now in the
construction of a new stadium for our team in an extremely rural area
plagued by extreme poverty. I have been in constant negotiations with the
municipalities of the region, NGO's and various other community organizations.
Our goal is to build and operate a hydroelectric power plant near our stadium,
which we are sure, will help the community as well; their goal is to further
socially and economically develop their communities. This is a win-win
situation for everyone involved, as the construction is bringing many jobs to
the community, directly and indirectly and have also negotiated many other
benefits to the community, like the construction and maintenance of roads,
classrooms and materials for their schools, electrification and a profit
sharing plan as well. As they develop their community, we have a safer place to
manage and operate our stadium and power plant; it is in our interest that
the community develops for the good of our project and country.
4) How do you recognize what people really want to get out of the
negotiation and how do you work to achieve a common ground where both you and
the other party are satisfied?
Very difficult to know exactly what your
counterpart wants, but their natural human response is usually a very good
indicator. Once you reach a critical point to their negotiation, if you are
paying attention, you will see their body language change i.e. they will sit up
on their seat or raise their voice or something of the sort. If you are
dealing with normal human beings of sound mind, reaching a common ground
usually happens organically, but understand that in any negotiation its not
about what you deserve to get, it is about what you have the LEVERAGE to
negotiate.
Contact:
Andrea
Atala
Email:
avatala@gmail.com
References:
Club
Deportivo Motagua (2015). Club Deportivo Motagua. Retrieved from: http://www.motagua.com
Andrea
Atala (2015). Acceso Directo. Retrieved from: http://andreaatala.escuelauniversitariarealmadrid.com
