Childrens Corner

Branson’s great skill as a negotiator is one of those happy (for him) accidents of birth. Nature in all its wisdom saw fi t to bestow a
market trader’s mind on a middle-class and seemingly easygoing
son of a barrister. Not only does Branson possess the wherewithal
to strike a mean deal, it is part of his psyche. Were English public
schools less interested in competing at cricket and rugby and rather
more in instilling commercial nous in their pupils, they might consider
inter-school negotiating matches. In that unlikely event, Richard Branson might have captained his school.

One story illustrates Branson’s mischievous delight in negotiating.
In the early days of the mail order record business, a man telephoned to offer the company some bootlegged Jimi Hendrix records. The caller was told to drop by at the company’s offi ces the next day to discuss the deal with a Mr Zimmerman. When the man turned up at 10 a.m. it was to be told by an earnest Richard Branson that Mr Zimmerman was at a café just around the corner.

When the man returned some time later to report that Mr Zimmerman
had not turned up, Branson expressed surprise andinnocently asked what it was he wanted to see him about. The man explained that he was going to sell him some records for £1 apiece. “I’ll give you 50p each,” the artful Branson said, and a deal was struck. Within days, they were sold to devoted Jimi Hendrix fans by mail order at £3 each.

Taken From: Business The Richard Branson Way
10 Secrets of the Word’s