Thank you for reading The Invisible Game. That means a lot to us. We were hoping to share our passion for the tremendous value that the Invisible Game adds to your side of the negotiation table. Each of us has some final thoughts and takeaways as we all get back to business. Kai will direct his at professors and trainers, while Gaby will follow with her takeaways for salespeople.
Kai's final takeaways
Dear Fellow Professors and Trainers,
For my classes and my workshops, I am always on the lookout for interesting new materials. To provide you with a compact way to introduce the Invisible Game and illustrate some of the differences between the Visible Game and the Invisible Game, you can use Table E.1. We intentionally left this piece of the puzzle until the end of the book, because we thought it was best appreciated after reading the entire book.
I am someone who learns most from examples and many of my students do so too. That's why I feel that the handful of examples in Table E.1 could give you an idea for a presentation slide or some leads to develop teaching materials. As with all our ideas – develop it further, adjust it to your industry of choice, and always feel free to send us an email with your best examples!
Table E.1 A few examples that illustrate the differences between the Visible Game and the Invisible Game
The Visible Game
The Invisible Game
Receiving an RFP for one of your products or services
Figuring out what anchors have been placed in that RFP
‘We have a management meeting tomorrow and need your reply by tonight’
Recognizing time and timing as tactical moves to apply artificial stress
Sending out your proposal to your customer
Constructing an advantageous choice architecture for that proposal
Wearing a wristwatch
Using the wristwatch as a prompt to remind yourself of an intended action
Receiving a request for a discount within pre-defined parameters
Reply with no acknowledgment of the anchors embedded in the request
‘We have a standard approach and process on how to manage a client.’
You have standards and processes for administration, but remain unpredictable for the other side when it is time for negotiation
‘My customer always asks for new ideas but never follows up on them.’
Repeat the idea to the customer seven or eight times
Gaby's final takeaways
Dear Fellow Salespeople,
When preparing for a specific business situation, I tend to flip through my books repeatedly for quick advice and ideas. For those of you who like to do the same, here is my personal quick guide to The Invisible Game. It's organized by business topic and refers to the relevant chapter.
How to sustain healthy customer relationships
Customer strategies
Evaluate your true position in the supplier segmentation. Think future! (Chapter 11).
Risks of assumptions: Do you know, or do you think you know? (Chapter 2).
The most valuable question may be: What should we stop doing? (Chapter 12).
New customers
Programme first impressions actively to match your strategic intent (Chapter 3).
Change needs to sound, look, and feel like change (Chapter 3).
Always take the time to onboard new customer players (Chapter 4).
As you bring these insights back into your business world, you will encounter new experiences. We'd love to hear your stories about how you've applied the concepts, and what you achieved. To get in touch or share your thoughts or your personal stories on playing the Invisible Game, please send Gaby an email at [email protected] or contact Kai via [email protected].