Selling-Negotiating-Winning: Insight from Master Negotiator J.T. Stewart

JT Stewart, author, professional speaker, entertainment agent, and marketing guru, is probably best known for his success in growing the American Fighter Apparel brand- an Mixed Martial Arts themed line. Stewart was retained by an upstart clothing brand called "American Fighter" at a time when the company’s annual sales were less than $20,000 annually. After retaining Stewart, sales improved ten fold to over $200,000 in his first year with the company (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”

Stewart was responsible for the overall marketing, as well as the development and execution of a licensing program. Through Stewart’s effective negotiating and sales capabilities, American Fighter clothing experienced steady growth over the next five years with sales reaching $500,000 through online sales alone. Stewart, a partner in the American Fighter brand, was also instrumental in negotiating a partnership with Affliction Clothing. With that partnership in place, sales rose to $9 million in 2014 (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”  

Now, Stewart is focusing on developing his own apparel line, while also returning to his speaking, writing, and sales roots.  He is working to develop his sales training course for young entrepreneurs, “Selling-Negotiating-Winning,” while also working on his second book, “Experience is a Great Teacher,” and negotiating the sale of live productions such as “4192: An Evening with Pete Rose” and “Stars of Music Row” (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).

The Maven: How do you separate the people from the problem when you are negotiating? What tips do you have for new negotiators who are trying to do this?

Stewart: “I don’t believe it is entirely possible to separate the person from the problem. Each person that you are negotiating with will have his or her own tendencies and personality. There are some things you can do to try and relate, and gain some common ground with the person on the other side of the negotiation- such as how you speak to them and how you read their body language. I think it is important to be upfront, so you can move towards your common ground sooner. When you get into the nuts and bolts of solving the problem, having that foundation of common ground and trust will be invaluable. It is important to relate to the person you are negotiating with in a relaxed manner, while still maintaining your internal guard up. Without establishing that trust and rapport, you will never overcome their objection and have any hope of solving the problem (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”

The Maven: How do you handle positional bargaining tactics?

Stewart: “Never give something up without getting something in return. When someone is trying to position their argument, they will ask you for some sort of concession. It is your job to either rebuff their request, or use it to your advantage by giving them their concession only if they are willing to make a concession themselves. They can try to position their argument, but reality is still reality. If they want something they must give something (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”

The Maven: Can you give me an example of how you worked toward mutual benefit while you were negotiating a deal?

Stewart: “The first thing you always have to do is figure out what it is they want. People will often use this as a carrot or a dodge. What do they truly want? Once you have viewed the negotiation from their perspective and ascertained what they really want, you can assess in your mind what the common ground would be. For example, if I am negotiating a show with a venue for Pete Rose, I may not tell them upfront that he will do a meet and greet. I will wait until they are looking for added value, and then suggest to them that I might be able to get Pete to do a meet and greet for a premium price ticket. I actually knew this all along, but I held that card close to my best. When they seem that I am willing to get Hit King Pete Rose to do a meet and greet, and they can make more money, it’s a mutual benefit. They get to make more money, and at that point, I get to close the deal. I use a closing line such as, ‘If I can get Pete to do an additional meet and greet, do we have a deal?’ That line will either smoke out any additional objections or they will agree. That line is also followed up with the question, ‘Is that fair?’ Nine times out of ten, they will agree. They got added value and we got the show. Mutually beneficial to all parties (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”  

The Maven: What advice do you have for overcoming objection?

Stewart: “If the person keeps bringing up the same objection, you have to determine whether that is an excuse or if it is truly an obstacle. The way I get around repeated objections is to ask, ‘How can we solve that?’ This gives me insight into what they are looking for as a solution- and if there is one. It also helps them to answer their own questions. When they give you the answer, you can both determine if there is a executable solution (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).”

The Maven: If you only had 30 seconds to make someone a better negotiator, what would your elevator pitch/tutorial be?

Stewart: “Listen, read their body language, and speak in soft selling words with soft tones. That makes you appear like a lamb. But…on the inside, you must have the mindset of being on the attack. On the inside, you are a lion. You just can’t show that to the person on the other side of the negotiation. Get as much information as you can about any objections, and then solve them, one by one, until all the objections are gone and you are able to close (Stewart, personal communication, March 4, 2015).

For more information, on J.T. Stewart, his various projects, and how you or your organization can be a part of them, do not hesitate to email him at jtagency@gmail.com.