Nice Guys Finish First: Empowering Canadian Business with Negotiation Strategies

This blog was provided by Shapiro Negotiations Institute (SNI).

Canadians are known for their niceness, a trait that has become a hallmark of their national identity. This characteristic provides a unique perspective on negotiation, influence and interpersonal relations. It aligns well with the ‘power of nice’ ethos of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute (SNI), the premier global leader in enabling organizations to empower their sales and procurement teams with strategic negotiation and influencing skills.

Though the name of the game in negotiating is to obtain desired results, how you get them is just as important. While many dealmakers play hardball by assuming a winner-take-all, scorched earth attitude, they do so at the risk of alienating the other party and losing out on future opportunities. SNI instead believes in the ‘power of nice’ and this is at the heart of SNI’s process and success.

While based in Baltimore in the United States, SNI is committed to the success of Canadian businesses both at home and on the global stage. It strives to empower Canadian companies, from start-ups, small businesses to multinational organizations, by improving their negotiating abilities. This bridges a gap in a market where world-class training is often unavailable due to Canada’s smaller size. To support this endeavor, SNI partners with various organizations to raise awareness and access to such training for Canadian professionals. These organizations include the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Forum for International Trade Training, the Association of Canadian Advertisers, TradeReady.ca and more.

SNI’s focus on Canadian firms is diverse, ranging from enterprises headquartered in Canada such as TD, MNP and the Toronto Blue Jays to various international organizations aiming to expand their operations into Canada.

Andres Lares, a proud Canadian, leads SNI. He is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and businesses from his country. Lares has contributed to and been featured in publications such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Yahoo, NBC, CNBC and more. In a recent article on tradeready.ca, he imparts invaluable insights for Canadians aiming to launch or expand their work internationally. The article emphasizes that negotiation is a crucial skill in business, especially for establishing partnerships and acquiring clients. Mastering this skill is vital for effective business conduct. However, international negotiation demands a higher level of these skills, as minor cultural misunderstandings can jeopardize entire deals. The piece offers advice on avoiding such mistakes and preparing effectively for international negotiations to ensure successful business transactions.

Andres Lares is the Managing Partner at SNI, where he is responsible for the strategy and operations of the sales, negotiation, and influence training firm. He has led the development of SNI’s award-winning interactive online negotiation training, mobile applications, and VR applications, and has multiple patents pending.