How to Become a Better Negotiator, Second Edition

The Cost of Not Listening

Finally, here’s a story that demonstrates the importance of good listening—and the cost of a listening breakdown:

A down-and-out drifter, hungry for something to eat and willing to work for his meal, walked up to a fancy house. He rang the doorbell and asked the lady of the house for a meal in return for any household chore he could do. “Well, certainly! There is a job you could do for me,” the lady said. “Take those two cans of green paint around back and paint my porch.” “Be glad to, ma’am,” said the drifter. Two hours later, the man returned to the front of the house and said, “Ma’am, I’ve finished the job, and I’m ready to eat! Oh, by the way, that car I painted was no Porsche; it was a Ferrari!”

By now you should ...