if cash is king then comfort is queen. in any negotiation, the level of comfort that a consumer has with you (the producer) will always trump any minor discomfort he or she has with price, product or service. those can be massaged. this has its limits, of course. the assumption is that what you’re providing is in the ballpark of the offering from the competition being considered. in this scenario, the power of comfort is easy to appreciate. the consumer is not at ease. spending money is jarring for many. confidence in decision-making on something that is foreign to the consumer is a challenge. perhaps the consumer has been burned in the past and is hesitant to go there yet again. or, on the flip side, maybe optimism and excitement is so high that the consumer has the choice at hand a very important one — one involving many levels of consideration. would need to be comfortable with someone to trust that this plays out as hoped.
negotiation and sales bring out the defense mechanism in many a consumer. the pitches, presentations, props — all produce a yang atmosphere. discomfort. what can help you in these situations is a joke, or a surprising gesture, or some relief you provide on a related or unrelated matter, or a referral from someone who can vouch for the reliability of your production. it is a subtle, communicative and finer touch that’s needed — which is why i say that comfort is queen. i’m not advocating the over-the-top drag queen, or the fat-inflicting dairy queen or even the ice queen type. i’m conjuring up a warm, wise yet firm queen who reassures and represents the experience and stability of years.
