Mark Raffan, an acclaimed negotiation trainer, speaker, podcast host, and renowned entrepreneur, hails from a family of entrepreneurs. His affinity for sales, negotiation, and conflict management has been a constant throughout his life.

Before founding Negotiations Ninja, one of the best negotiation podcasts in the world, Mark climbed the corporate ladder through sales and procurement roles, gaining exposure to diverse industries. However, the allure of entrepreneurship and a passion for promoting effective negotiation practices became irresistible. Mark initiated a blog and podcast to champion negotiation excellence, giving rise to the widely successful Negotiations Ninja™ platform.

The blog and podcast quickly garnered a global audience, leading to numerous training requests for Mark and the pivotal decision to leave the corporate realm and dedicate himself entirely to the development of Negotiations Ninja™. The platform gained rapid recognition, expanding its reach to major companies worldwide across North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In this episode, we introduce Mark's new book: "9 Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders: A Field Guide to B2B Negotiations", which includes a practical framework designed to optimize the negotiation outcomes for B2B salespeople written from a perspective of a senior procurement professional. Mark provides a brief overview of the background and the journey that led him to writing the book. Our discussion revolves around the key principles and secrets outlined in the book. In a nutshell, Mark distills the essence of his work, offering a sneak peek into the actionable ideas that can elevate B2B negotiations to new heights. We explore the most recent dynamics in the nature of the field and talk about AI and the impact it will have on B2B negotiations in the future. We also discuss the importance of negotiators adapting their strategies. The title of the book emphasizes influencing stakeholders, and Mark shares how negotiators can effectively manage and influence key stakeholders in a B2B context. Navigating the fine line between additional economic gains and ethics is a critical aspect of negotiations. Mark shares his approach to ethical standards in negotiations, ensuring an optimal outcome. Mark leaves our listeners with a powerful message and a piece of advice regarding B2B negotiations, drawing from their wealth of knowledge and experience. As always, our conversation concludes with Mark reflecting on greatness in negotiation, highlighting historical or contemporary individuals who negotiate exceptionally well.