Use ‘If’ to Negotiate Successfully

When you negotiate, do you use ‘if’ to make your offerings conditional? During negotiations, the word ‘if’ is used as a conditional phrase that serves as a prelude for that which follows. It allows you to make an offer and not be committed to delivering the covenants of the offer, if the other negotiator doesn’t meet the condition(s) set forth by your ‘if’ inquiry. If you wish to negotiate successfully, you have to preface some offers and most counteroffers with the word, ‘if’.

The following are seven ways you can use ‘if’ to negotiate more successfully.

1. You should use ‘if’ when you wish to extend a conditional offer to the other negotiator (e.g. If I add this to the deal, will that be enough to meet your needs?). If the other negotiator says no, you’re not obligated to meet his needs with the offer extended to him.

2. ‘If’ can also be used as a transitional strategy (e.g. You bring up a good point and if we can agree on ‘point B’, then we can address ‘point A’.)

3. You can use ‘if’ as a ‘block and bridge’ strategy (e.g. If ‘point A’ is true (block), then it reasons that ‘point B’ has validity (bridge)). In this case, you would then begin to discuss ‘point B’, which should be more advantageous to your position.

4. Use ‘if’ as a harbinger of things to come. Depending on the point you wish to stress and the position you’ve adopted, ‘if’ can be used as a subliminal precursor (e.g. If we adopt your position, do you really think it’s going to be beneficial?).

5. ‘If’ can be used as an image enhancer or image detractor (e.g. If we consummate the proposed deal, you’ll save a few hundred thousand dollars and become a hero in your organization.)

6. Use ‘if’ with ‘but’. ‘But’ is a delimiter that negates what comes before it. (e.g. Your point is good, but if we adopt the second point, the outcome will be more favorable.)

7. “If’s” can be used in a ‘nested’ manner, when you wish to connect several points together, while not committing to the outcome unless the other negotiator agrees to all of the conditions (e.g. If we adopt ‘point A’ and if we adopt ‘point B’ or ‘point C’, I think we can conclude this deal successfully.)

To use ‘if’ successfully, do so with precision and incisiveness. Remember, ‘if’ can be used to ‘heat’ up, or ‘cool’ down a negotiation. Be perceptive to the psychological ‘temperature’ of the negotiation and adjust your mental thermostat and that of the other negotiator appropriately. Do so based on the direction you’d like your ‘if’ query to take you… and everything will be right with the world.

The Negotiation Tips Are…

• Before using ‘if’, consider the motivational source of the other negotiator. Then, apply your ‘if’ proposition from the perspective that it moves him in the direction he perceives to be the most beneficial.

• Regardless of how you use ‘if’ in your negotiations, don’t use it to the point that it confuses the goal you seek. Remember, ‘If’ is another negotiation tool; like any tool, it should used when and where appropriate.

• Remember to also use the word ‘if’ when you want to transition from a point you don’t wish to address to one that’s more advantageous to your position.

Customized Books Make the Perfect Present

Making a book creates a long lasting keepsake that can be enjoyed over and over again. If you are at a loss on what to give someone for a present, consider making a customized book that will make a lasting impression.

Need some inspiration?

Below are some ideas on how to create a book for that special someone.

Photobooks

As photobooks become more and more popular, people are becoming increasingly interested in photo book ideas for new ways to show off their photos. Photobooks are becoming the most popular form of personalized books. This is mostly because they allow for a high level of creativity, but also because they hold up better than photo albums and aren’t as painstaking to make as scrapbooks.

When it comes to putting your photos in a book, the sky’s the limit. Before you start making a photobook, answer the following questions to give yourself some direction and inspiration:

What is the occasion? (father’s day, birthday, christmas, anniversary, etc)

Who are the recipients? (husband, children, grandma, parents, etc)

What should be included? (just pictures, or also clippings, art, letters, etc.)
Once you have a game plan, you can move forward with gathering the required materials and brainstorming. A thoughtful layout will give your photobook an even more personal touch.

Planner Book

Put a personalized touch on a daily calendar by creating a planner book. A planner makes a great gift for anyone, for any occasion. The great thing about making your own is that you can select separate photos for every month as well as front and back cover photos. In addition to pictures, you can autofill important dates for the recipient and chose the beginning and end dates.

This can add an extra personalized touch. For example, you may be making one for your daughter before she heads off to her freshman year at college. You can set the dates on the calendar to start after her high school graduation. Include important dates such as campus tours, information sessions, registration dates, her dorm move in date, when class begins, etc. Also, pre-fill everyone’s birthdays and other important dates for her. She can still be connected to home with a personalized planner to help her organize her freshman year. Include pictures of her family, her high school friends, sports, her favorite pet or anything else that reminds her of home.

The Customized Cookbook

Customized cookbooks are also becoming popular because they are a great way to easily document your family’s favorite recipes. Many recipes are handed down between generations, creating a special memory for family members. In addition to documenting family recipes, creating a customized cookbook also gives you a way to record your unique recipes. A customized cookbook makes a great gift for future generations of chefs when they leave the nest.

The Something Special Book

Looking for that special gift for your little one? Your child will be so excited to see themselves featured in their very own book. Here are some great book ideas for the children in your life:

An alphabet book- Going through the alphabet, find a picture of your child that relates to each letter. For instance, B is for Bunny so find a picture of your child holding or petting a bunny. You can also include text from his or her favorite nursery rhymes or stories.

Silly little sayings book- Have you documented some of your child’s funny sayings, ramblings and songs? Quote your child in the text and pair it with a picture of them being silly.

Here, there and everywhere book- Make a book for your child that includes pictures of their adventures and create a story to go along with it. Make your child the main character and go on the adventures together. Your child will love being in a story and will have fun reliving memories.
Tell Your Story

Show a loved one that you are thinking about them by sharing your life’s journey together in a book. This can be a compilation of poems, short stories, statistics, quotes and photos. You can also scan in movie tickets, concert stubs, or anything else that you have kept as a keepsake. Books that tell stories make great anniversary or milestone gifts.

Imagine making a book like this for you and your husband’s 10 year anniversary. In the book, include some year by year favorite memories. Include places you have gone, things that you have done together, inside jokes, etc. If you are feeling particularly creative, write him some poems or short stories throughout the book.

Are you feeling inspired yet? Hopefully you now have some ideas to help you get starting making a memorable and original book.

There are many photobook publishers from which to choose. A particular favorite of this author is Blurb.com. Blurb has book making tools that directly import your Facebook or Instagram photos. These books usually are less time consuming because most of the work is done for you. Also, the Facebook and Instagram books have a quick turnaround time, making them great last minute gifts. You have full control over which pictures and comments you want or don’t want to include.

Enjoy Hair Product Ingredients

Your hair will be as good as the care you accord to it. It is given that you need products to keep the hair looking its best all the time. The fact is that there is a wide range of products today, making it hard for many women to make the right choices. There are chemical or synthetic products and natural or organic products. If you want the best results and you are after taking care of your health as well, you should choose natural products over the chemical filled options. Organic products have all the best ingredients for beautiful strong hair.

Why go organic?

Whether you are choosing hair thickening products or styling products, organic or natural is always the better option for several reasons.

They have minerals and vitamins

Damaged and dry hair particularly needs minerals and vitamins to restore its lost glory. Organic products contain all the minerals and vitamins that the hair needs and will easily take care of damaged roots. The products utilize vegetables, juices, flowers and fruits and other natural materials that are easily absorbed by the hair, thus providing the needed nourishment from the root up. It is definitely something that will be hard to achieve with artificial ingredients.

They save you money

Because they are made using natural ingredients requiring minimal processing and additives, the organic products tend to be more affordable. Even with those that are a bit costly, you will still save money because you can trust in the results and don’t have to start taking care of adverse effects such as those that result from using artificial harsh products. The other best thing about the products is that you don’t even need specialized products. Using simple ingredients readily available in your kitchen or garden, you can make very good hair products at home for effective results. You can use fruits, herbs and plants available in your garden to boost the general health of your mane.

They have no side effects

Natural hair care products contain only natural, safe ingredients and you therefore will have no side effects as it is usually the case with artificial products. You don’t have to worry about causing more damage to the shafts when using the organic ingredients. Unlike chemical products that can lead to loss, damage, scalp burns and other harmful side effects, the organic products only work to improve your hair and skin health. The natural ingredients come with added benefits to your general health. Apart from having healthy, strong and beautiful mane, you will be boosting your health to a great extent using the organic products.

Natural hair products are friendly to the environment. This is because they do not require any chemical additions which could find their way into the environment polluting the air, water and soil. Plants are grown to make the products possible and this ends up improving the environment.