Maya and Brad make a lowball offer—$42,000 less than the fair market value. Jack’s so relieved to finally have an offer, he couldn’t care less what it is. He accepts right away—and loses out big time. Now let’s contrast this story with a look at a real-life excellent negotiator: Mr. Bill Gates. Bill and his friend Paul Allen worked together as computer programmers and created the company Microsoft. In 1980, IBM hired them to create a new operating system, but the company wanted Microsoft to reduce its fees. After tough negotiations, Bill and Paul agreed to lower their payments but insisted that a clause be added to their contract that said they could take the software they created to other companies. IBM agreed, and Bill and Paul got to work. Microsoft licensed a pre-existing operating system called QDOS and developed it further. This is what was ultimately used in IBM computers. However, because of that clause in the contract, Microsoft was also able to sell the program—renamed as MS-DOS—to other companies as well. Because of that one carefully negotiated clause, Microsoft became the leading company in operating systems for years, and Bill Gates became one of the richest men in the world. Good negotiating is the last step in finally getting your home sold for the price it deserves. The next few chapters will teach you all about the art of the negotiation, so read them carefully. I want to make sure you have all the information you need so you end up like Bill, not Jack!
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