Game in the Brain

Every important meeting we have we client, I keep notes. I leave it to the EA to address the minutes of the meeting, but I have my owns set of notes I keep.

I’ve been dealing with a lot of salesmen and swindlers. I’ve realized some companies have their management run by these kinds of people, I realize as a geek I fall under the Technocrats category. I’ve talked previously about liars and when someone lies to you in a professional meeting and relationship.

We had a dealing with a client who was trying to squeeze more money out of us.  This was the notes I kept:

The contract favors us, this is because we bothered to list down all items turned over. Listing down all matters that was discussed and agreed to, and what was available in the time of the discussion sets precedent and expectation, and disallows the other party from inserting additional costs to us.

This type of business is trying to squeeze as much additional costs to us. It appears that they want to go by “interpretation” of the contract than what a lawyer’s technical and objective interpretation of what is in the contract. These dangerous kinds of clients want to go by “Interpretation” instead of what is written and interpreted by Philippine Court.

First Tactic – “that is not how we can interpret the dealing” – we have written and legal contracts for the PRIMARY REASON that we do not have to each give OUR OWN interpretation, by legal contracts we will always go by the third party’s interpretation… which is the Courts! 

Response: Stay by the Contract, do not entertain what was said. Be FIRM and SERIOUS

Second Tactic – “Will the this did not have pushed through if this was not part of the Dealings” – Begging the Question, Also it assumes we would have agreed to it if it was brought up in the time. It also assumes that it would not have affected the overall price. 

Response: Stay by the Contract, do not entertain what was said. Be FIRM and SERIOUS

Third Tactic – “Please try to Work with us with a Solution to this” – this implies there IS a problem. Its planting a lie in the assumptions. There is a PROBLEM and that you have the burden to solve it or else you are a bad person. It is a Backhanded Tactic. 

Response: Stay by the Contract, do not entertain what was said. Be FIRM and SERIOUS

Fourth Tactic – “you are being Illogical” repeatedly.

 Response: Stay by the Contract, do not entertain what was said. Be FIRM and SERIOUS

Final Lessons.
Looking at the contract, these kind of dangerous dealers will want a convoluted deal as possible. Work closely with your legal, the more ambiguity the less the court has a say on the matter. 

I think it is a matter of practice of putting “Manipulators” or people who would exploit any “perceived weakness to deal with Filipinos, regardless of the trustworthiness and reputation for fair dealings of the Filipino Biz. This is always contrasted by the other people we dealt with.

The simplest solution with these kind of people:

• Get referrals from other People they did biz with
• if you find they are the “typical” manipulative expect above and worse. Meetings are like combat there are greater elements of risk – your own feelings and the new lows the other party will stoop too.