Step into a negotiation room, and you’ll find three invisible chairs always present: Fear, Uncertainty, and Equality.
Two are uninvited. One must always have a seat.
Let’s break it down:
Fear looks like this:
“What if I lose the order?”
“What if the competitor underquotes me?”
“What if the customer never comes back?”
Fear makes you nod before you even understand the question. It signs the deal before reading the terms. It says, “Sir, I’ll manage,” while you’re quietly panicking about how to.
Uncertainty is its evil twin:
“I’m not sure what my cost is…”
“I don’t know if we can fulfill on time but let’s say yes and figure it out later.”
“Maybe I’ll throw in something extra, just in case…”
Uncertainty dresses like confidence but mumbles during execution. It over-promises and then burns your margins like toast in a rush kitchen.
And then there’s Equality. The only chair you must sit on.
Equality says:
“I know what I offer, I know its value.”
“You need a good supplier, and I need a good customer—let’s talk like adults.”
“Let’s be clear. If we’re building together, we both deserve to win.”
Equality doesn’t mean arrogance. It means balance. It means showing up to the table not as a beggar, not as a king—but as a partner.
The deal you close out of fear will always cost more than the one you walk away from with dignity.
