“Trumping” Your Way to a Bad Deal

Every rookie negotiator has a hero.

Some channel Mandela. Others rehearse like Voss. A few (bravely?) go full Trump.

Here’s the problem: when you “play” someone else, your body calls you out.

Misfitting words, weird pacing, tense posture—signals that scream “This isn’t me.”

And that’s the moment trust dies. Even if you're playing the “tough guy.”

Instead, learn to play you - but you in a specific mode.

You as the patient collaborator.
You as the hard-nosed competitor.
You as the “reluctant” dealmaker who suddenly relents (on your terms, of course).

Acting is fine. Pretending is fatal.

What persona do you bring to the table?