Yes, you can. Negotiate to success even when it's hard.

Stuck with a case of the can'ts? Yes, you can do it.

Who hasn't been there? Your boss wants you to close a deal with a completely unrealistic expecation. You share all the reasons that it can't be done. They insist anyway. You're one deal away from your quota. Your best offer was rejected by the customer. Now what?

It could be you're raising prices when competitors aren't. It could be you're more expensive than others. It could be your escalating over a key contacts head. What you really mean by "can't" is often a discussion about the risks associated with the action. Fear of those risks make it seem impossible. The risks are real. The fear is real.

Negotiation, like so much of life, is a head game. If you lose your confidence, and focus on the fear of failure you will rob yourself of the ability to succeed. This headspace is a big deal. A belief that it's possible can make nearly anything possible.

Many people can go from couch to 5K in a few weeks with training and persistence. Many don't do it. Many could do it if they started, and stuck with it. Often the roadblock is a belief that running isn't fun. Or a belief that it's not possible for you specifically.

Last week a woman swam through frigid, shark infested waters in the San Francisco Bay to go from the Bay to the Farlone Islands. She swam through a swarm of bats. She was rewarded with a rat infested island when she got there. She was 55, not 25. This is a great example of yes, actually, you can. With strong preparation even this achievement is possible. I bet that during training there were some pretty strong "I can't" moments. And during the swim there could have been moments full of "I can't". There might have even bit a bunch of moments of "this is a really bad idea". She did it anyway. If you're determined enough, you can find a way.

Strong sales people know from experience it takes a lot of "No" before you find a "yes". Negotiation is a part of that. Strong negotiators know that good deals seem like they'll fall apart more than once during the process of negotiating before finding success. The reason they succeed is both parties want to find a way to make it work, so you work through the stalemates and the roadblocks and find a way. If you must, you will find a way.

So next time you're stuck with a case of the can'ts, change it up.

You can do anything.

Answer some questions:

What would be required to make this specific achievement possible?

Who do you need on your team?

What would you need to prepare?

What are the consequences of success?

What are the consequences of failure?

Answer these questions, and go get the support you need to succeed.

Yes, you can. You're unstoppable.