Adrian I. Johnson
Negotiation and Deal Making
This past week I reached out to a
man who is employed with a sports marketing and Multimedia Company called
Learfield Sports. The man I interviewed is named Adam Ihgrig. Mr. Ihgrigs’
office is based out of Champagne, Illinois.
Before conducting the interview I
expressed to him that my objective for completing the interview was to explore
some of his daily duties that require him to negotiate for the business. He
then explained to me that the company has acquired long-term relationships with
several collegiate athletic departments and they are consistently negotiating
deals with new clientele.
“When I first sit down to discuss
business with the client I first express how much I appreciate their time. It
always breaks the ice and lets them know that I am grateful for their time.” He
mentioned that sometimes he even brings donuts or some sort of gifts to show
appreciation. It makes the client feel like they are not going to be
negotiating with a shark but a giver. Mr. Ihgrig mentioned that he always has
to research the particular client’s history who he intends to meet with so that
if needed he has some type of leverage when knowing their strengths and
weaknesses. This way when he sits down at the table to negotiate a deal he
knows exactly what it is that he can offer to make the deal.
When it got to the idea of mutual
gain Mr. Ihgrig explained that he never wants a client to feel like they are
not getting the best deal possible for them along with the business getting the
best deal that he can get for Learfield. The idea is to make them feel like there
is equilibrium of mutual gain for both parties.
Throughout the entire interview I
realized that even in the simplest jobs, when there is a contract or deal,
there is negotiation.
