An Interview With Caroline

Caroline is a friend of mine from a few years back when I use to attend weekly networking meetings at a local golf course. The basic purpose of the group was to give a 60 second commercial in front of 50 people and ask them for referrals. Being located in Allegheny County, which is the 2^nd oldest county in the US, Caroline and I found ourselves being the youngest people in the group. Needless to say, we became quick friends, and to this day, still exchange a referral or two. Caroline was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, obtained her degree from Point Park University, and owns a social media marketing company with a food twist. Her company falls into the same category as LimeSub Media and information on her experiences with negotiations, to me, are priceless.  In our interview together, she enlightened me on her negotiation techniques and ways to deal with potential clients, which I found quite useful.

In negotiations, emotions and relationships can tend to become a problem when faced with a tough decision. It is separating the individual from his/her problem and getting them away from their defensive stance and get them to open up. When Caroline is faced with such an issue she said, “I work to have good relationships with my clients, but that can always be a tough factor when trying to work through a solution to a problem.” I agree, so many times during negotiation people just want to chitchat. It is getting them to focus on the task at hand that is the tricky part.

When it comes to bargaining tactics, some people use dirty tricks or a slick turn of phrase to get what they want. My first job I worked at, which I cannot disclose their name but it sounds like Southeastern Mutual, taught us how to “con” people into buying their services, however, I did not appreciate that technique and left the company. Caroline agrees with me and shared a great saying, which I will always remember, “If you start off with something great, then you don't have to use any tricks.” Which is exactly what I want in negotiations. I want the individual to be genuinely interested in my service. However, you cannot please everyone all the time, and in that instance, Caroline says, “you get what you pay for, and the prices I am offering are a culmination of what the market looks like today and my expertise.” And if that person does not understand that, then it is time to move on to someone who does.

After the negotiations are over and terms are agreed upon, it is time to deliver. Without providing a viable service or product that the client just paid for, that person would immediately go somewhere else. Therefore, one must build trust and Caroline does it by offering small services first to prove her worth. According to Caroline, “When I was first starting out, I offered several clients the ability to see how their customer relationships would improve before making a long term investment. This allowed me time to grow my business and them the guarantee that if they didn't see results, then they weren't locked into something they didn't want.” This is a great idea and is essentially proves to the individual that this product is worthwhile.

I would like to thank Caroline for her time and wish her all the luck in the future. She gave me some excellent insight on the current market of her company (and mine) and some great tips on how to solicit social media services.