Funny how they get “don’t burn your sources” — but not “don’t break your word.”
Earlier this week, the Cowboys made a couple of trades to (hopefully) improve their defense.
They’re 3-5-1 after Monday, and it’s getting close to the point where you start quietly thinking about next year.
Which is pretty much what these trades were: all the guys they brought in are under contract for multiple seasons.
Will it work out? Would it have been better to keep the picks?
We’ll see.
But Monday, I heard something on the pregame show that made me shake my head in that special “man, sportswriters…” way.
(You know the line — people go into sportswriting because they aren’t smart enough to do anything else.)
Anyway.
They were talking about how Jerry had already said a trade was agreed to, but the paperwork wouldn’t be submitted until the next day.
The writer pointed out that if the Cowboys won, the other team could decide they now had more leverage and try to squeeze Dallas for more compensation before sending the paperwork in.
Technically true.
In the same way it’s technically true you could decide to jump your car across a creek like you’re in The Dukes of Hazzard.
Possible. Just not real likely. Not if you want to have a car anymore.
Because in real business — and in the NFL — a deal is a deal.
In real estate we call it a re-trade when someone comes back after the agreement and says, “Actually, I want to change the price/terms.”
But often it’s just someone trying to take advantage of what they think is new leverage.
And while it might be legal, it’s a great way to find yourself at the bottom of everyone’s call list.
Commercial and institutional real estate is a very small world. We all work with each other over and over.
If you get a reputation as someone who can’t be trusted, that follows you.
Same thing in the NFL. There are 32 teams. That’s it.
If you go back on your word, everyone knows it, and you don’t get deals done anymore.
So no, Cincinnati wasn’t going to try to hold the Cowboys hostage after the game.
Not if they want the phone to ever ring again.
Now — a lot of people who read this aren’t buying or selling property all the time. They might only do one deal in their entire life.
So what’s stopping them from playing games?
Nothing, technically.
But it’s still not smart.
Because if you’re willing to bend your ethics “just this once,” it rarely stops there.
It bleeds into your business. Your marriage. Your friendships. Your reputation.
Which is all just another way of saying: your life.
If you can’t be trusted in small things, you can’t be trusted in big ones either.
And no “good deal” is worth that.
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PS – I’ve been hammering this all week: strengthening your negotiation skills will improve pretty much every area of your life.
The best negotiation books don’t teach tricks, they teach behavior.
Principles.
Empathy (look it up, it doesn’t mean what most people think).
Understanding the other person’s world.
If you want to learn how to negotiate without being a jerk, start here:
Start With No — Jim Camp
Never Split the Difference — Chris Voss
You can find them (and a few others I recommend) right here:
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