In this series, we’re discussing five guiding principles on how best to negotiate agreements. The second principle I recommend is to avoid negotiating with those you can’t trust.
A previous bank customer of mine was represented by their manipulative CFO. This CFO would leverage his other bank relationships to pressure us to give him a better deal.
We agreed to better pricing until I learned that the CFO had been lying to me. When I realized I couldn’t trust him, I refused to negotiate our terms any longer. If it had been up to me, I would have terminated the relationship.
Proverbs 12:22 teaches, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
If you can’t trust someone, any agreement will likely become meaningless later.
