Retail Edit | Actionable Advice to Grow and Scale Your DTC Retail Business

18. The Negotiation Skill That Gives You an Unfair Advantage in Business

Kristin Engen

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0:00 | 11:54

There’s one skill that quietly separates the people who win negotiations, land deals, and earn respect and most people never actually learn it.

In this episode of The Retail Edit, I’m breaking down the most underutilized skill in business and leadership: true perspective.

This isn’t about empathy.
It’s not about “being nice.”
And it’s definitely not about feelings.

It’s about strategic positioning — the ability to step into the other person’s world, understand what they are measured on, and use that insight to walk into negotiations prepared, calm, and in control.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why your brand story alone isn’t enough to get a yes
  • What top retail buyers actually care about (and what they don’t)
  • How understanding constraints, metrics, and pressure points gives you an unfair advantage
  • Why being “right” is often the fastest way to lose
  • How this skill changes negotiations, leadership, partnerships and even family dynamics

If you’ve ever walked into a conversation feeling steamrolled, unprepared, or frustrated that “nothing’s working,” this episode will change how you approach every negotiation moving forward.

Because the goal isn’t to win the argument.
It’s to win the outcome.

🎯 Want more of this strategic, behind-the-scenes retail and business insight?
Grab my free Get Retail Ready mini training and get added to my email list where I share the real strategies brands use to land retail deals and scale with confidence.

Retail doesn’t have to be complicated but it does require strategy.

Resources & Links
 🎓 Ready to grow your retail business? Check out Kristin’s freebie → Get Retail Ready Course

If this episode made you think "finally, someone who gets it"—you def need my Retailish newsletter in your life.


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