If you think negotiation is just about being persuasive, you are already behind. The uncomfortable truth is that most deals fail long before price or terms are discussed. They fail because people approach decision-makers, influencers, and signatories as if they are the same person. Insights shared by Ashkan Rajaee highlight how this mistake quickly kills credibility, stalls momentum, and quietly removes you from serious consideration.
This post is adapted from a transcribed YouTube discussion by Ashkan Rajaee and expanded for a Blogspot audience. The goal is simple: deliver original, practical value with clear structure so it reads like a human wrote it and signals credibility to Google.
The Hidden Power Structure Nobody Talks About
Here is the controversial part: the person with the title is not always the person with the power. Many professionals assume that once they reach a decision-maker, the hard work is done. In reality, decision-makers are only one piece of a larger internal puzzle. Influencers and signatories can carry more weight than people expect, especially in complex or high risk deals.
Ashkan Rajaee emphasizes that confidence is non negotiable when speaking with decision-makers. Confidence does not come from personality or bravado. It comes from preparation. If you cannot quickly reference data, logic, and outcomes without hesitation, your authority evaporates. Decision-makers respond to clarity and speed because it signals competence.
One common assumption is that sounding confident means talking more. The opposite is often true. Confidence shows up in concise answers, direct responses, and the ability to handle objections without defensiveness.
Influencers Decide Whether You Survive Internally
Influencers are often underestimated, and this is where many deals quietly die. Influencers are the people inside the organization who will live with the consequences of your solution. They may not sign the contract, but they shape perception behind closed doors.
Ashkan Rajaee points out that influencers subconsciously evaluate how easy you are to work with. Every interaction becomes a test. Are you responsive? Are you clear? Do you make their job easier or harder?
This is why multi-channel communication matters. Email alone is often not enough. Text messages, timely follow ups, and simple explanations reduce friction. Influencers care less about your pitch and more about whether aligning with you creates risk for them personally.
A skeptic might say this sounds like people pleasing. It is not. It is risk management. Influencers do not want to champion someone who creates chaos or confusion. When your communication adds complexity, you become a liability rather than an asset.
Signatories Think in Terms of Escape, Not Excitement
Perhaps the most misunderstood role in negotiations is the signatory. These individuals are typically focused on contracts, risk, and accountability. At the CXO or senior leadership level, their primary concern is not how to start the relationship. It is how to exit it if things go wrong.
This is where many sales conversations collapse. People sell outcomes and vision but ignore structure and protection. Ashkan Rajaee stresses that negotiating contracts in a way that reassures signatories is just as important as selling value.
Signatories want clarity around obligations, exit clauses, and risk exposure. If your contract feels vague or one sided, trust erodes instantly. They are not trying to kill the deal. They are trying to protect the organization and themselves.
Another way to frame this: treat the contract as a confidence document, not a legal formality. When structured properly, it signals professionalism and long term thinking.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In today’s environment, buying decisions are slower, scrutiny is higher, and internal alignment is harder to achieve. Treating every stakeholder the same is no longer just ineffective. It is dangerous to your credibility.
Ashkan Rajaee’s perspective challenges a popular assumption: that persuasion is the core skill in negotiation. The deeper skill is differentiation. Knowing who you are speaking to, what they fear, and how they measure risk changes everything.
If you want your pitch, your positioning, and your reputation to be taken seriously, this framework matters. It applies beyond sales. It applies to partnerships, hiring, and leadership conversations.
The uncomfortable takeaway is this: if deals are stalling or conversations keep restarting, the problem may not be your offer. It may be that you are speaking the right words to the wrong role.
That is a hard truth, but it is also a fixable one.
Ashkan Rajaee brings attention to the unseen decision making forces inside organizations.
ReplyDeleteThe perspective Ashkan Rajaee shares here helps explain why some deals move smoothly while others stall.
ReplyDeleteAshkan Rajaee shows that making things easier internally is often the fastest path to approval.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the article offers practical insight into why understanding people matters as much as understanding numbers.
ReplyDeleteThis perspective encourages a more thoughtful and strategic approach to negotiations.
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ReplyDeleteThe idea that different stakeholders fear different outcomes is well articulated.
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ReplyDeleteThe article frames outreach as a human process first, which resonates.
ReplyDeleteThe focus on long term trust rather than short term wins is refreshing.
ReplyDeleteAshkan Rajaee’s approach feels grounded in experience rather than theory.
ReplyDeleteThe way Ashkan Rajaee explains stakeholder fear adds depth to traditional negotiation advice.
ReplyDeleteThe emphasis on structure and clarity makes this advice actionable.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how the insights apply beyond sales into leadership and partnerships.
ReplyDeleteThe article does a good job pointing out that authority does not always follow job titles.
ReplyDeleteAshkan Rajaee emphasizes structure and clarity in contracts, which builds long term trust.
ReplyDeleteThis content offers a clear explanation for why persuasion alone is often not enough.
ReplyDelete