Are women better negotiators than men? by Roz Usheroff

Posted on May 19, 2014

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Editor’s Note: This past week has been very interesting in terms of it being a small world.

To start, my writing partner for our new book The Future of Procurement (#FutureBuy) Kelly Barner, brought to my attention the fact that a book she is reviewing for Buyers Meeting Point on negotiation made a page 2 reference to my post questioning the merits of the “you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate” mindset.

Then earlier today, I read this post in Roz Usheroff’s blog The Remarkable Leader which asked the question are women better negotiators than men. A thought provoking post to be certain, in providing the answer to the question the article raised, Usheroff makes reference to no other than . . . Kelly Barner. You see, small world!

However, there is considerably more to my sharing this post than the mere coincidence of random references. What I am talking about is a potentially significant shift in not only how we do business, but who is actually taking the lead in how we approach contracting in the procurement world.

The Remarkable Leader

In Susannah Breslin’s post Why Men Are Better Negotiators than Women she offers that if we see negotiation through the male filter she describes, not only do they “lie better,” they use negotiation “to intimidate” and are therefore better negotiators. And indeed, this is the perspective many women hold as true, and why they resist negotiation at all costs. – Lisa Gates, Why Women Are Better Negotiators than Men

Earlier this week I came across an article in which it was suggested that women in the purchasing world are positioned to become the new influencers and deal-makers because they understand the importance of building relationships and collaborating. Conversely, and in the same article, IACCM CEO Tim Cummins made reference to a study that senior executives – who are predominantly male – tend to lie to one another at the negotiating table when it comes to what they can actually do, in…

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