MISU, Corina Ana-Florina

CLOE 1
30.11.2017
Business Communication
Prof. Nadina Visan

Negotiation is an art. It is an art in the sense that one must handle very well the language,
the wording and manipulate the other party into accepting their proposition. Before plunging
into a negotiation, one must give thought to it and ask oneself a series of questions: What do I
want to obtain from this? What facts should I state to have a better support for my proposal?
What do I do in case the other party brings into discussion sensitive matters that could affect this
process? These questions always arise before entering a negotiation and are crucial in the final
result.
Working in a real estate investment company, I have often negotiated with Clients
regarding rent, terms and conditions of their contract and amenities offered. I have encountered
different situations when negotiating, have lost and have won, but more important, I learned.
Below is one example of negotiation that I encountered. The context is the following: The
apartments that the company owns are located in Otopeni, close to the airport, in a very nice
compound.
Goal 1: rent to as many pilots as possible. Why? Because they have good salaries and from
experience they always pay on time, thus you don`t waste time chasing them to pay their debts.
They take care of the property and they usually recommend us to other colleagues from the
airport. Mouth to mouth advertising is the best.
Goal 2: have a predictable and stable cash-flow
Goal 3: maintain the high-quality level of the compound`s community

- Client: Can we do a 6 months contract?

- Me: Yes, of course. But the price will be higher than the one advertised: 420 EUR+ VAT
(The price advertised was lower, as it was for 1-year contracts only)
- Client: Is the price negotiable? I am asking cause I saw similar size apartments at 360-380.
- Me: We can discuss price only after you visit the property. But we know the market and
the quality of our apartments. The one that we advertise now has been recently
renovated and the furniture is brand new. What you see in the pictures is really what you
get. Plus, if you work in the northern part of Bucharest it is a very good location.
- Client: I am a pilot, so I need to be close to the airport. How far are you from the airport?
- Me: 5-7 min. The location is among the best for pilots. Actually, we have quite a
community of pilots here in the compound.
- Client: Oh, really? Could I have their names please? I might know them. I work for Blue
Air.
MISU, Corina Ana-Florina
CLOE 1
30.11.2017
Business Communication
Prof. Nadina Visan

- Me: With their permission I can send you their contact details and you can find out
directly from them how they feel about the compound.
- Client: Thank you, that would be great! What does this price include?
- Me: Underground parking and, most important: service. You see, if you are going to rent
from us, you will obtain not only a good quality apartment, but service as well. For each
issue that you may have regarding the apartment, there is a team that handles
administrative, functional and financial matters. Some tenants even ask us to check their
apartment/equipment once in a while, when they are gone for longer periods of time.
- Client: I understand, that is good! But I am not even sure if I can stay for 6 months, I might
get transferred to another country. What happens if I leave before the agreed term?
- Me: Usually, we retain one month`s rent + guarantee.
- Client: I am pretty sure that the airline will not agree to this.
- Me: When you leave, we need to prepare the apartment, clean it and make it available
for advertising, we have to show it to other people, sometimes several times/day. That
implies time and money. There are costs even when the apartment is empty.
- Client: I understand. It makes sense, but I don`t think they will accept.
- Me: In that case, if you can bring us from your airline agency a letter confirming your
official transfer, we will retain only the guarantee.
- Client: Ok. I will pass along the details and get back to you with a confirmation.

What happened afterwards: he signed for 6 months, and then extended for another 6. He loved
the compound and even recommended it to other two colleagues. We did not lower the price,
but gave him a 10 EUR discount for payment within 5 days after receipt of invoice, so effectively
most of the time he paid 410 EUR, instead of 420.