It was nearly 20 years ago and I was working on closing a deal for a Frame Relay network with a local hospital in Chicago. My Vice President, Ed, pulled me aside and asked how negotiations were going.  After I explained my strategy, Ed said something that I would never forget.  "Look Kevin, our clients are your neighbor, your relative, your friends and if they're not, then I can assure you that they are the neighbor, relative or friend of another member of our team.  As a result, I expect you to be honest and straightforward and to document everything that you are offering them to ensure that there will be no question that you have always done the right thing for our client."

In stark contrast to my original experiences, here is what many of us are more likely to hear when discussing sales strategy on data center negotiations with senior sales management.  "Tell them whatever they want to hear and don't say no to anything.  More importantly, don't put anything in writing.  We can work around most of these points during contract negotiations."