What the Vedic Scriptures Taught Me About Negotiation
9 Tips for Negotiating with Indian Business People
"Negotiations are won by whoever cares less. – Naval Ravikant"
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I have had the great fortune to work alongside – and negotiate with – some of the most successful Indian families in the world. They are the foremost haggling tacticians, distilling the science of business dealings into negotiation and counter-negotiation. Strike and retort. An elegant strategy through which I’ve learned the nature of either-or and both-and.
It wasn’t until I attended Diwali celebrations, and had a chance to read the Vedic scriptures – Bhagavad Gita notably – that I discovered the true complexity that underpins the approach these tacticians take. Order and paradox – a path to wisdom that can apply to all aspects of life.
Note that I said above – negotiate with, not negotiate against. To negotiate is to play a game with varying stakes.
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction. Perform work in this world, Arjuna, as a man established within himself – without selfish attachments, and alike in success and defeat. For yoga is perfect evenness of mind. – The Bhagavad Gita"
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Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
Compiled between 1000 and 500 B.C., the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered scriptures in Hinduism, believed to have been written by Ganesha and transcribed by the great sage Veda Vyasa. In its pages lies the story of an epic battle between the Duryodhana and Arjuna families. A conflict for which the reigning king had failed to barter peace, leading to war being imminent.
It’s this tale, recounted in my upcoming book, that offers the insight I’ll share in this post. We begin our story with Duryodhana and Arjuna approaching Krishna for support in their impending war, with each receiving the same task:
" Return in the morning, and the first man I see upon awakening is the man who wins the contest for my support. "
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Excerpt From “Fire”
The next morning, Duryodhana arrives first – while it is still dark. At this point, the versions differ. Some state he rubs Krishna’s feet and sings in order to wake him, while others say he merely stood above Krishna’s head. Clearly, the tactic in the second version is that Krishna would awaken, and open his eyes to see Duryodhana standing above him.
Later, after the sun had risen, Arjuna, who was well-rested and fed, arrived in Krishna’s chambers. Arjuna stands at the foot of Krishna’s bed. His opponent was standing at his head.
Each awaits enlightened Krishna’s awakening.
He first sits up. Only then does he open his eyes to see Arjuna standing at his feet.
Order matters.
Takeaways From the Tale
On the surface, this story seems to teach little about negotiation. If anything, it can seem a trifle unfair. Duryodhana arrived first, seemingly marking him out as the man who would receive Krishna’s blessing and support.
Yet, that isn’t what happened.
The reasoning behind that not happening is where we find some of the lessons we can take from this story, with what Arjuna opts to do when presented with a crucial choice by Krishna introducing the concept of paradox.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
First Takeaway – Tactics Mean Little Without Comprehension
I’ll draw your attention to the second of the tactics Duryodhana may have employed in his effort to curry Krishna’s favor – standing above the sleeping supreme god. It shows Duryodhana’s complete misunderstanding of the instruction he’d received.
To be the first man upon whom Krishna’s eyes would alight in the morning.
So focused on being first was Duryodhana that he failed to comprehend even a simple situation. Like a few people, Krishna first sits up before he opens his eyes. He doesn’t simply stare straight up upon awakening, making the entire concept of “being first” in his room moot. Arjuna, by contrast, employed the far superior tactic of simply understanding the instruction he was provided. A simple act, and one that serves us all well in negotiating.
It is not through communication we learn but through comprehension. I believe this is why the Indian families I’ve worked with during my career are such fierce negotiators. They understand that to comprehend is to truly understand what another wants, and through that comprehension comes the ability to attain something for which they wish.
Arjuna showcases this comprehension to a far greater degree than Duryodhana. Above listening to Krishna’s words, he contemplates them. Ruminates upon them to such a degree that he’s able to arrive far later to Krishan’s bedchamber than his rival and yet still emerge with Krishna’s favor.
All it took was a modicum of understanding – what will be in reality rather than what you assume through base communication.
Second Takeaway – There Is Order in All Things
I’m reminded of the Jungian philosophy whenever I speak of order:
" In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. "
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Particularly, I’m amused by the concept of a “secret order” within disorder, and how it applies to Duryodhana’s failure. To him, there was a clear and logical secret to achieving Krishna’s favor. Turn up first, be seen, and that favor is guaranteed. Duryodhana constructed his own order of events, far separated from what would happen in reality. That order saw him awaken early, so early it is still dark, to position himself appropriately. But as he failed to comprehend the meaning behind Krishna’s words, so too did he fail to understand that the order he created for how he wanted events to transpire simply did not apply.
There was a secret order so sublime in its simplicity – the order of events that occur upon awakening.
Arjuna materializes before Duryodhana.
I’m reminded of the order of events during business meetings, and how simply collisions of culture can upset that order, resulting in a failure to achieve the desired result. In Japan, for instance, it’s customary to exchange business cards at the beginning of a meeting. This may seem like a trite – perhaps even outdated – concept, yet it is an echo of the respect for hierarchy and politeness inherent in the Japanese business experience.
There is order found here, too.
When meeting with a group of Japanese businesspeople, introductions are made, beginning with the most senior of the group and descending to the most junior. Logic may dictate that you pass your business card to each person as they’re introduced, but that approach showcases the same failure to understand demonstrated by Duryodhana. Instead, cards are exchanged after all introductions are complete, with each card passed over using two hands and in order of the introductions provided.
Failure to respect that order won’t see you immediately cast out and forced to commit seppuku, at least as an American-born businessperson. But it also won’t escape notice. The lack of respect for the order of things may be seen as a misstep once that demonstrates a lack of care or understanding of an entire culture.
You may fail to receive what you desire.
Just as Duryodhana’s failure to see a secret order deprived him of Krishna’s favor.
Third Takeaway – The Pathway to Victory Lies in Paradox
There is an aspect of the story that I’ve yet to share with you:
Arjuna’s choice.
Upon succeeding in being the first person Krishna saw, Arjuna was presented with the choice between being granted Krishna’s 10 million-strong Narayani fighting force or receiving advice from Krishna. Duryodhana would receive whatever Arjuna didn’t choose.
Perhaps the choice seems simple.
The fighting force would assure victory for Arjuna, and yet he chose to speak with Krishna. That decision brings to mind another quote:
" It would be an assault on wisdom for power not to arrive. It would be an offense for wisdom not to drive. Get wisdom, and all maneuvering mutes silent. "
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We see a great paradox here. Perception upset and the seemingly logical order usurped. Yet, there is a twisted path to wisdom and, in Arjuna’s case, victory here. To take Krishna’s fighting force would be to reject the opportunity to become greater. To achieve true enlightenment that cannot come through battle.
Arjuna says as much himself when Krishna questions him on his decision. Immediately dropping to his knees, Arjuna worships Krishna as lord, telling him of his belief that Arjuna will win the battle not through the fighters that Krishna could supply but through the presence of Krishna himself. The immaterial will overcome the material. The mind will defeat an army. It’s a paradox that isn’t materially logical and, to many, is nonsensical.
Yet, it is this very paradox that is the pathway to victory in the Vedic tradition. Presence.
Arjuna’s reward for his choice was to be regaled with an infinity of wisdom, receiving the assertions of Krishna and creating the base for all Vedic scripture. What appears to be a rejection of power, at least in the logical sense, was instead an embracing of a power that went far beyond the petty trifling of man.
I see echoes of this Vedic wisdom in how my Indian counterparts approach negotiations. There is no attack. No display of power in an effort to turn the tide in their favor. Rather, they listen attentively, as Arjuna chose to do with Krishna, in service of comprehending those who sit across the table. There is a secret order at play, too, with the sharing of enormous amounts of information occurring even in the first meeting. All are in service of securing a long-term commitment – a commitment to play a game – in which we see aspects of Arjuna’s choice playing out. A singular victory on the battlefield fades into obscurity when the wisdom obtained renders the battle irrelevant.
9 Tips for Negotiating with Indian Business People:
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- Remember, negotiating has very likely been the business of their family for centuries. You are the underdog. Those books on salesmanship are nothing. Remember that trading, sales, brokerage, and export/import businesses are all negotiating businesses.
- Be humble.
- Be generous.
- Know if you have something to offer them – especially competency or access – they will let you win the first few rounds.
- Play the fool where possible – as Robert Greene says “Never outshine the master.”
- Be competent, but not more competent than them.
- Expect retrades, especially after the contract is signed. I’ve found it’s best to set a firm policy of no retrades, but that does prevent me from playing some of the games.
- They only tell you what they want you to know. Speak wisely.
- These relationships can be some of the best friendships you ever have, so dig into knowing their families and friends.
