The art of resisting the urge to shalaye during business negotiations is a skill everyone need to learn. Knowing when to say just enough to close the deal & the discerning to say nothing at all cause the deal has been sealed even before you pitched because of a solid referral.

In 2007, I was referred by one of my friends to create 3D animation gospel musical video for a wealthy client he has built solid relationships with over the years. He had a lot on his plate, the deadline was too close & He knew I’d come through cause money was on the table.

I couldn’t animate in 3D but within my network, I know people who can. So I spoke to a classmate who was experimenting with 3D, he was a beginner but good enough to get the job done. Asked how much it will cost, he said 50k. I billed the client 550k & agreed to split it evenly.

That was good money for undergrad students. I sent a contract, they signed & only agreed to pay when the work was done. High risk but we took it. This guy did an excellent job with the little time we were given & even went above. We travelled to another state to meet the client.

They lodged us in his hotel, had a solid breakfast & waited 3 hours till we were called to present. This deal was sealed already, minimal talk was needed cause of the referral. After i was done pitching as per the business guy closing the deal, they were overly sold.

They loved the 3D video as my Classmate presented his work. The client got out his cheque book, asked for our bank details, At that moment, classmate casually added “I love how the characters move here but I can make it a lot better & the transition smoother if i had more time”.

That was how those few words cost us the bag. The client & his media team didn’t even consider it an issue till he spoke. All of a sudden, everyone’s focus was on that one tiny detail. We moved from “you guys did a great job” to “it could have been better”. I tried salvaging it

but it was too late. When asked if it’s something that can be sorted asap, classmate added that it would require more time & experienced animators to achieve it in a short time. They opted to shooting a musical video instead & gave us 40k as transport money back for the effort.

Seen so many situations where talented people fumble the bag cause they felt the urge to over explain, over indulge in moments where silence could have been exercised. Same challenges faced by perfectionists. Sometimes keeping it simple is good, complexity can ruin great crafts.

Why pitch decks with too many words make a horrible presentation. You end up confusing the investors & yourself. If it’s too complex, you haven’t done your homework enough. Understanding the subtle power of silence in a negotiation is key. If they didn’t ask, don’t explain.