Despite his oft-self-proclaimed negotiating skills, Donald Trump clearly lost the first round to Kim Jong Un. He looked exhausted in his news conference — always a bad sign. His statement that they got on well and he felt that Kim is a man he can trust was eerily reminiscent of George W. Bush’s comment about Vladimir Putin. We know how well that worked out!
I was VP of sales for an international software company and negotiated deals in more than 30 countries. Here’s my take on what Trump did wrong.
1. Trumpeted his “great” negotiating skills. Maybe that intimidates in a relatively simple and private real estate deal where Trump has the advantage of having done dozens of similar deals before — but not where it’s Trump’s first such deal and his opponent can’t afford to lose face.
2. Agreed to meet in a location many time zones away after a stressful (and failed) G7 meeting, whereas it was an easy hop for his opponent.
3. Bragged that he didn’t need much preparation because “I am a great negotiator.” Meanwhile Kim was prepping with the Chinese and Russians — both of whom are no doubt celebrating the outcome.
Only time will tell what Trump gave away — we won’t hear the truth from Trump.
Frank Fish, Park City