Creating America: My campaign manager was Roosevelt

Chapter 19 The Master Class of Negotiation

Back in the meeting room at the community center, Leo told Margaret and Frank about Wechsler's proposal.

After hearing this, Frank slammed his fist on the table.

"I knew those bastards were up to no good!" he stomped angrily. "They think they can just pay us off? Dream on! Tomorrow I'll get the union brothers to block the city hall doors and see who dares to tear down our buildings!"

Sarah calmly opened her laptop.

"I looked into Alan Wechsler's background," she said. "He's one of the best business lawyers in Pittsburgh, especially skilled at handling land disputes related to the government. He has a perfect track record of never losing a case, and he's very adept at using legal procedures to wear down his opponents."

Margaret didn't speak, but just looked at Leo, waiting for his decision.

Leo felt utterly exhausted.

His confrontation with Wechsler was more mentally taxing than spending an entire day researching in the library.

He felt like an amateur boxer being completely outmaneuvered by a professional.

Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind, calm yet powerful.

"You've made the same mistake again, child."

"You're trying to win him over at the negotiating table with morality and reason. But remember, the essence of negotiation is not victory, but guidance."

"Negotiation is not a life-or-death duel, but rather a process of making your opponent clearly realize that accepting your terms will cause them far less damage than continuing to fight you. This is a rational choice."

"The essence of politics is the art of compromise. The key is who is compromising and who is profiting."

Leo was somewhat puzzled.

"Compromise? Are we supposed to accept his proposal?"

"Of course not," Roosevelt said. "Compromise is not the same as surrender. A smart compromise is to achieve the most important victory at the lowest cost. Now, I'm going to give you a real lesson in political negotiation."

"First point: Reconstruct our narrative. Never let your opponent feel that he is losing to you. You must give him a way out, make him feel that accepting your terms is a smarter choice for himself, for his clients, and even for his not-so-reliable ally, Mayor Cartwright."

"We don't define this negotiation as a victory; we define it as a joint effort to resolve a problem."

"Second point: Create and utilize your leverage. Your biggest trump card right now isn't the lunch meeting minutes; that can only serve as a last resort. Your biggest trump card is uncertainty."

"What Wechsler fears most is not you, his rational student, but the uncontrollable public anger and Frank outside the door, ready to rip off his tires at any moment. You need to learn to use 'Franks' and make him feel that you are the only rational one who can control the situation. Only then will he be willing to talk to you alone."

"Third point: Clearly define your non-sellable and tradeable items. Before any negotiation begins, you must draw two lines in your mind. What are your core interests that you absolutely cannot concede, and what are the things you can offer as bargaining chips."

"You need to make it clear that retaining the original site of the community center is not for sale, and there is absolutely no room for negotiation. Then, you need to proactively create something that can be used for trade, so that the other party can also gain something in the negotiation, satisfying their professional vanity as a negotiation expert."

Roosevelt's three points enlightened Leo.

He finally realized just how terribly wrong his previous line of thinking had been.

He was always thinking about how to "defeat" Wechsler, while Roosevelt was thinking about how to "use" him to achieve his own goals.

Under Roosevelt's guidance, Leo began to develop a completely new negotiation strategy.

He found Frank first.

"Frank, I need you to do me a favor," Leo said.

"What's the big deal? Are we going to smash up that lawyer's office?" Frank rubbed his hands together, eager to get started.

"No," Leo laughed. "I need you to stay angry, even angrier than you are now."

"What do you mean?"

"I need you to mobilize the brothers in the union to hold peaceful protests every day starting tomorrow in front of the headquarters building of the Peak Development Group. Don't block the entrance, don't cause any clashes, but make sure their employees see your banners and hear your slogans every day on their way to and from get off work."

Frank immediately understood Leo's intention.

"You want me to be the bad guy and you to be the good guy?"

“Yes,” Leo said. “Wexler must believe that the public’s anger is about to spiral out of control, and I am the only one who can restrain this beast.”

Then, Leo found Sarah.

"Sarah, I need you to help me with a document."

"What document?"

"A plan for the future development of the steelworkers' community center," Leo said. "I want to show Wechsler that we are not just a bunch of old-fashioned protesters; we have our own plans for the future of the community."

For the next two days, Leo and Sarah locked themselves in their office to work on the proposal.

At Roosevelt's behest, Leo deliberately included some seemingly wonderful but actually costly "upgrade and renovation" projects in the plan, which were not core functionalities.

For example, he plans to transform the roof of the community center into a modern rooftop garden.

He also plans to add a virtual reality history experience room to the community center, allowing children to experience Pittsburgh's steel history firsthand.

He also plans to invite renowned architects to give the exterior of the community center an artistic renovation.

Each of these projects costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"What are you doing?" Sarah looked at the increasingly outrageous budget proposal, feeling utterly bewildered. "We simply don't have the money to do any of this."

“I know,” Leo said. “These are the things I’m going to use to make a deal with Wexler.”

"We must be willing to give up things we don't have in the first place at the negotiating table in exchange for what we truly want."

All preparations are complete.

Leo picked up the phone and dialed Wechsler's assistant's number.

"Please pass this on to Mr. Wechsler," Leo said into the phone.

"The emotions in the community are getting out of control. I think it's necessary for us to have a second meeting."

"This time, I hope to bring a solution that benefits both sides and persuade those angry old workers."