Negotiation

Here's the top 20 markets with the most generous rent concessions right now. One state -- Florida -- claims nearly half the top 20 spots. Nationally, concessions in stabilized apartments average about 5 weeks free right now -- which is highest since the GFC era, and about 1 week above the typical discounts we saw during the pandemic period. Concessions in stabilized apartments average nearly 8 weeks "free rent" in Sarasota and around 7 weeks in Fort Myers, Lakeland and Naples. Elsewhere, concession values reach 6+ weeks in ultra-high-supplied markets like Austin, Nashville, Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Of course, the big difference between today and the GFC period is demand. There's ample demand today at a macro level, yet muted leasing activity at the asset level in higher-supplied markets. That's simply because demand is being spread across a far great number of properties, given new supply surging to nearly 50-year highs. So operators are competing for leases, and concessions are one tool in the toolbox. The other difference today: With wage growth outpacing rent growth for 30+ months, today's concessions are less about affordability and more about competition (particularly at the upper end of the market, where demand is concentrated). In other words, concessions probably aren't stimulating much net new demand (although they could boost move-ups), but instead are helping property managers compete for a share of the demand. Indeed, in all these spots like Florida with high concession usage, rent-to-income ratios tend to be low and macro absorption is still strong. But supply volumes are significant, creating heavy competition for leases. Also: Reminder that concession values alone don't tell the full story. Some markets and some operators may favor actual rent cuts over what amounts to a marketing gimmick. So this list isn't a direct proxy for market softness. Of course, concessions are most commonly leveraged among new apartments in lease-up, and in some markets, 2+ months free isn't uncommon. That heavy discounting may convince some property managers even in stabilized properties to offer them as a marketing tactic instead of just cutting the rent to the equivalent level, particularly if they're clinching to inflated views of going-rate rent. Here's a potential challenge, though: Leaning on concessions over actual rent cuts can create unrealistic renewal expectations. Concessions of 5-6 weeks amount to discounts of 10-12%. That means "burning off" concessions of that size equate to effective rent hikes of 10-12%. In many cases, that might be too much to burn off in one renewal.... plus some managers may be budgeting for market rent growth on top of that, which might be unrealistic. It also puts the renter in a potentially challenging spot. Whether you get there through true rent cuts or concessions, the effective rent is what the rent actually is. And that's the baseline for the renewal. #rents #apartments

The best negotiator I know is completely silent 70% of the time. Last year she closed $400M in deals saying almost nothing. In high-stakes negotiations, the person who truly understands human psychology wins. Not the loudest voice. Not the biggest title. The one who reads the room. FBI negotiator Chris Voss spent decades getting terrorists to release hostages. Now he teaches business leaders the same principles. And here's what surprised me most: These aren't secret tactics. They're learnable skills. Anyone can become a skilled negotiator. You just need to understand how humans actually make decisions. These 7 techniques are a great starting point. They've worked in life-or-death situations and multi-billion-dollar deals. 1. Strategic Silence teaches patience. Most of us rush to fill quiet moments. But silence creates space for better offers. Practice counting to 10 before responding. It feels eternal. It works. 2. "How" over "Why" shifts dynamics. One word change. Completely different conversation. Try it in your next meeting. Watch defensiveness disappear. 3. Addressing Fears builds trust fast. Name what they're worried about before they do. It shows you understand their position, not just your own. 4. Mirroring is almost unconscious. Repeat their words. They elaborate without realizing it. Simple technique. Profound results. 5. Getting to "No" seems counterintuitive. But "no" creates boundaries. Boundaries create honest dialogue. Real deals happen after "no," not before. 6. Confirming Concerns creates momentum. Summarize their position accurately. They feel heard. Feeling heard leads to flexibility. 7. Listing Objections removes their power. Say their doubts out loud first. They can't weaponize what you've already acknowledged. Every CEO needs this skill. Every leader benefits from understanding it. Every professional can learn it. The question isn't whether you need these skills. It's when you'll start developing them. P.S. Want a PDF of my Negotiation Skills Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dDxE5v3B ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more negotiation insights.

Wealth creation through ESOPs is a major reason why people join startups. But most people struggle to correctly evaluate job offers that also includes ESOPs Here is a framework that should help: For an employee to make meaningful money through ESOPs, 2 things must happen: - Growth in company value - Employee friendly ESOP policies that ensures employees make money when company grows a) Growth in Company Value This is where employees need to think like investors Just like investors are particularly wary of what valuation they are coming in, entry valuations should matter for employees too ESOPs are allotted basis the current valuation The likelihood of a 10x growth in your ESOPs if you are joining a startup valued at 100 million $ is much higher compared to joining a startup already valued at 5 billion $ If you happen to join a startup just after the company raised a round which you think was overvalued, the chances of your ESOPs growing reduces One mistake that people often make is comparing the allotted ESOPs from 2 companies at different stages. A 75 lakh ESOP allotment in a 1000 cr valued org with chances of a 10x growth could be a better offer than 2 cr ESOP allotment at a 20000 cr valued org with lower chances of future growth The second thing to judge is the business model and the likelihood of the business to grow( very important for Seed/Series A/B startups) Access to data is a challenge, but basic secondary research and asking the right questions and metrics in the interviews should help here b) ESOP Policies The startup ecosystem is full of stories where employees didn’t make money despite the company growing and having multiple liquidity events. Here are the things that should matter most while evaluating policies: 1. Vesting Schedule: The standard is 25% vesting after every year. Any schedule which has higher vesting towards the later years is a red flag Vesting should never be performance linked If performance is bad, it is management’s responsibility to fire 2. Vesting on Leaving/Startups Exit: If you exit, you should retain all options that has vested If a startup gets acquired before all your options vest, there should be accelerated vesting 3. ESOP Communication: There should always be written communication( preferably through ESOP portal) Verbal communication for ESOPs is a huge red flag 4. Strike Price: Strike Price should be as low as possible( Re 1 ideally). This maximizes the value creation for the employee 5. Holding/Exercise Period: Converting options to shares is a major tax liability exercise. With limited exercise period, it becomes impossible for employees to exercise as it means paying up to 40% real taxes on notional capital gains in an asset class that is not liquid Ideally, holding period should be infinite for vested options, even after exit This enables employees to wait for liquidity events without incurring upfront taxation to be paid out of own pocket

🔕 Design Guidelines For Better Notifications UX (https://lnkd.in/eAUuMVGw), with practical techniques on how to make notifications more useful and less annoying — with snooze mode, by exploring how and when they are triggered and measuring their use. Notifications Decision Tree (Slack): https://lnkd.in/eunw_VFX 🚫 High frequency of notifications is a very frequent complaint. ✅ Not all notifications are equal: some are more useful than others. ✅ Users value updates from close contacts, transactions, insights. 🤔 Users ignore automated, irrelevant, promotional notifications. ✅ Sending fewer messages can improve long-term product use. ✅ Let users choose notification modes (silent, regular, power). ✅ Suggest switching from push notification to email digests. ✅ Let users snooze, pause, mute if high volume is expected. ✅ Track how often notifications are ignored and acted upon. 🚫 Avoid disruption and notification fatigue by sending less. In many products, setting notification channels on mute is a default, rather than an exception. The reason for that is their high frequency which creates disruptions and eventually notifications fatigue, when any popping messages get dismissed instantly. But not every notification is equal. The level of attention users grant to notifications depends on their nature, or, more specifically, how and when they are triggered. People care more about new messages from close friends and relatives, bank transactions and any actionable and awaited confirmations. To design better notifications UX, we break down notification design across 3 levels of severity: high, medium, and low attention. And then, we define notification types by specific attributes on those levels — e.g. alerts, warnings, confirmations, errors, success messages, or status indicators. Most importantly, we scrutinize the decision tree to find the right timing to send the right types of notifications. The timing is really everything, so you might end up designing notification profiles — frequent users, infrequent users, one-week-experience users, one-month-experience users etc. In fact, Facebook has been experimenting with the notification frequency and learned that both user satisfaction and app usage improve by sending fewer notifications (link in the comments). And: whenever possible, allow your users to snooze and mute notifications *for a while*, and eventually you might even want to suggest a change of medium used to consume notifications. And when in doubt, postpone, rather than sending through. 🌳 UI Decision Trees → https://lnkd.in/eXr7nZdE 🍣 Interface Design Patterns → https://lnkd.in/eZv7EfMU 🔮 How To Measure UX → https://measure-ux.com 🎢 Upcoming UX workshops → https://web-adventures.com Happy designing, everyone! 🎉🥳 #ux #design

I’ve had 4 legal battles since starting my business. Could I have avoided them? Probably. But I didn’t have the funds for a proper lawyer. I didn’t have the founder network to ask the right questions. I was figuring it out as I went - like most of us do. So, let me help you not learn the hard way. Here are 5 clauses I now include in every contract to protect my work, my business, and my sanity: 1. Non-cancellable, non-refundable agreements If you’ve qualified your clients properly, this shouldn’t be a problem. But if someone signs, onboards, and then disappears? We still get paid. And so should you. 2. Immediate or short payment terms We don’t do 30- to 90-day terms. You wouldn’t work for 3 months without pay - so why should your business? Cash flow isn’t just admin. It’s survival. 3. Enforceable payment protection Your contract should include: Interest on late invoices A “stop work” clause if payment isn’t made A clause that guarantees you still get paid even if the client delays the project Your time is not free. Put it in writing. 4. Intellectual Property stays yours Anything we bring to the table = ours. Anything we create for you = yours. Clear. Simple. No grey area. We once had a client record a training session… and try to resell it behind a paywall. Now our contract includes a £10,000 fine per breach. And in that case, per breach = per view. 5. Don’t work with d*ckheads. Not a legal clause - more like legal wisdom... 😂 🚩 If they’re pushing for discounts before asking about outcomes 🚩 If they want to start work before signing or paying 🚩 If they delay, ghost, or act shady in the first 10 days… Walk away. Trust me. Yes, contracts are important. But court is expensive, stressful, and slow. The best legal advice I can give you; - Protect your business. - Trust your gut. - And don’t work with d*ckheads. Learning from someone else’s mistakes is a hell of a lot cheaper than learning from your own. You’re welcome 💜 😉 P.S - Want to finally get the confidence to start building your personal brand online? This is your sign. I’m hosting a FREE Zoom masterclass SEPT 10th. Join here: https://lnkd.in/gMwytmS3 and I'll show you exactly how to build your personal brand (and the life you want!).

Have you ever been at the helm of a project, overflowing with innovative ideas and immense potential, only to encounter the challenging barrier of limited budget resources? It's a familiar scenario in many workplaces. They can pop up during budget cuts, economic downturns, or when a company pivots to new priorities. Perhaps you're leading a team that's been asked to do more with less, or you're in charge of a new initiative that's critical for future growth but currently underfunded. These are the moments when your negotiation skills are put to the test. This is not just a challenge for those at the top but managers at all levels, in various functions and locations, frequently grapple with the need to secure more resources during financially tight times. Because it's about more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. It's about realizing potential, driving innovation, and maintaining momentum in your team. The ability to successfully negotiate for resources in such situations is a skill that can make a significant difference in your career and the success of your projects. Here's some advice on how to effectively navigate these situations:- [1] Start by gaining a deep understanding of your company's financial situation. This insight should guide your approach and help you tailor your request. [2] Clearly articulate the resources you need and why. Show how these resources align with the organization's goals and priorities. [3] Link your request to tangible outcomes. for e.g. How will these resources drive growth, save costs, or improve efficiency? [4] In tight financial times, it's crucial to differentiate between 'must-haves' and 'nice-to-haves'. Focus on what's absolutely essential. [5] Offer alternative solutions. This could mean suggesting phased funding, reallocating existing resources, or exploring cost-effective alternatives. Back up your request with data, examples, or case studies. [6] Make it clear what could be at stake if the resources are not allocated. Acknowledge the financial constraints and position your request as part of a collaborative solution to a shared problem. 👉 Mastering the art of negotiation in tight financial situations is a valuable skill for any leader or manager. ✅ Share this to your network ✅ Follow me on LinkedIn for expert insights ★ DM me for a conversation to learn how we can help you grow & succeed #business #people #leadership #management #negotiation #success #growth #innovation

I was shadowing a coaching client in her leadership meeting when I watched this brilliant woman apologize six times in 30 minutes. 1. “Sorry, this might be off-topic, but..." 2. “I'm could be wrong, but what if we..." 3. “Sorry again, I know we're running short on time..." 4. “I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but..." 5. “This is just my opinion, but..." 6. “Sorry if I'm being too pushy..." Her ideas? They were game-changing. Every single one. Here's what I've learned after decades of coaching women leaders: Women are masterful at reading the room and keeping everyone comfortable. It's a superpower. But when we consistently prioritize others' comfort over our own voice, we rob ourselves, and our teams, of our full contribution. The alternative isn't to become aggressive or dismissive. It's to practice “gracious assertion": • Replace "Sorry to interrupt" with "I'd like to add to that" • Replace "This might be stupid, but..." with "Here's another perspective" • Replace "I hope this makes sense" with "Let me know what questions you have" • Replace "I don't want to step on toes" with "I have a different approach" • Replace "This is just my opinion" with "Based on my experience" • Replace "Sorry if I'm being pushy" with "I feel strongly about this because" But how do you know if you're hitting the right note? Ask yourself these three questions: • Am I stating my needs clearly while respecting others' perspectives? (Assertive) • Am I dismissing others' input or bulldozing through objections? (Aggressive) • Am I hinting at what I want instead of directly asking for it? (Passive-aggressive) You can be considerate AND confident. You can make space for others AND take up space yourself. Your comfort matters too. Your voice matters too. Your ideas matter too. And most importantly, YOU matter. @she.shines.inc #Womenleaders #Confidence #selfadvocacy

January is the top month for new startup hires - so if you're negotiating on equity in the coming weeks, here are 5 tips: 𝟭) 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 If you get a simple count of shares in your offer (say 5,000 shares), you don't know anything. At minimum, you need to ask the strike price of those options (what do you pay per share in order to exercise). Better still would be to get the percentage ownership represented by those 5,000 options. Why? Because then you can compare offers from different startups in a way that makes sense. 𝟮) 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆'𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 What was the last post-money valuation of the company? When did that round take place? Has the company had to raise any convertible bridge financing since then? Are there plans to raise more capital? 𝟯) 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 What is the vesting period on my equity? What is the post-termination equity period for these options (typically they'll say 90 days after you leave, which is..not a lot! Could be a negotiation point for you to push on). 𝟰) 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 Does this company have plans to offer any liquidity to employees before an IPO or acquisition? If it's an early-stage startup, chances are no one has really thought about this yet, which is okay. If it's a late-stage company, worth prodding about. 𝟱) 𝗢𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁? Venture-backed companies can sometimes take on capital that comes with strings attached. Those strings can make it harder for employees to get any real, tangible value out of their equity EVEN WHEN the company has an exit. This question is usually not something a recruiter can answer, but it does show you're thinking deeply about the future. Final note - I realize negotiating can feel tricky, especially in an environment where new startup positions are scarce. It's always a balance between expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity while also making sure you aren't getting a raw deal. If you want to walk in to these interviews with real data on salary and equity for your position, let me know in the comments 🙏 Here's to new starts in 2025! PS. equity is not cash. It's upside only. #startups #startupcompensation #equity #salary #founders  

One of the most important applications of GenAI is in foresight. A new report from Paulo Carvalho at IF Insight & Foresight on "How Generative AI Will Transform Strategic Foresight" provides wide-ranging perspectives on the possibilities. Here are some of the most interesting action-oriented frames I found in the report. 🔍 Real-Time Environmental Scanning: Use GenAI to conduct continuous scanning of emerging trends, weak signals, and disruptions across diverse sources. This real-time, dynamic approach allows organizations to stay agile, proactively adjusting strategies as new insights unfold. 🌐 Immersive Scenario Simulations: Utilize GenAI to create interactive VR/AR scenarios that bring potential futures to life. These simulations engage stakeholders deeply, helping them visualize and emotionally connect with complex strategic choices, fostering stronger alignment with future goals. 🔄 Adaptive Scenario Planning: Move from static to adaptive planning by integrating live data into foresight models. Continuous updates based on geopolitical, economic, and technological shifts ensure that scenarios remain relevant and actionable over time. 💬 Enhanced Strategic Conversations: Use GenAI-powered virtual agents to facilitate dynamic "what-if" conversations, helping stakeholders explore a range of possible outcomes. This deepens strategic insights and encourages a proactive approach to complex decision-making. ⚙️ Modeling Complexity and Emergent Behaviors: Use GenAI to simulate complex systems and emergent behaviors, enabling organizations to anticipate interconnected, cascading effects. This prepares them for resilience in the face of unpredictable challenges and non-linear changes. 📊 Multimodal Data Integration for Richer Insights: Leverage GenAI’s capacity to analyze diverse data types (e.g., text, images, audio, video) to gain a nuanced, comprehensive view of trends and risks. This multimodal approach captures intricate patterns that single-source analysis might miss. 🌍 Embrace Multiple Perspectives and Plurality: Design foresight processes that incorporate a wide array of perspectives, blending cross-disciplinary and cultural insights. This inclusive approach creates more robust, innovative scenarios that account for diverse worldviews and challenges assumptions. 🤝 Facilitate Participatory and Co-Creative Approaches: Use GenAI to build interactive platforms that invite diverse stakeholders to co-create and refine scenarios. Real-time collaboration enhances the relevance and inclusivity of strategic models, making them more reflective of shared goals and values. I'll be sharing some of my thoughts on this very important topic in the next little while.

Here's a truth as old as time: power corrupts. Psychological research shows that people under the influence of power are more impulsive, self-centred, reckless, arrogant and rude than average, they are more likely to cheat on their spouses, are less attentive to other people and less interested in others’ perspectives. Power appears to work like an anaesthetic that makes you insensate to other people. Neurologists have discovered that a sense of power disrupts what is known as ‘mirroring’, a mental process which plays a key role in empathy. Ordinarily, we mirror all the time. Someone else laughs, you laugh, too; someone yawns, so do you. But powerful individuals mirror much less. It is almost as if they no longer feel connected to their fellow human beings. As if they’ve come unplugged. If powerful people feel less ‘connected’ to others, is it any wonder they also tend to be more cynical? One of the effects of power, myriad studies show, is that it makes you see others in a negative light. If you’re powerful you’re more likely to think most people are lazy and unreliable. That they need to be supervised and monitored, managed and regulated, censored and told what to do. And because power makes you feel superior to other people, you’ll believe all this monitoring should be entrusted to you. This is also what I’ve seen in places like Davos, the Swiss ski resort where global elites convene every year for the World Economic Forum. Most attendees are not ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ or anything like that - I think ‘blind’ and ‘disconnected’ would be much better descriptions. Sadly, such emotional blindness can be just as destructive as pure wickedness. —> Adapted from my book ‘Humankind: A Hopeful History’.