Dan Kelly knows that business negotiations can be a tricky deal. However, he has built a reputation for himself through his advanced negotiation skills. These skills have helped him grow his company, The Negotiator Guru, into a global band. At The Negotiator Guru, clients can save up to an average of 20 to 50% on their IT software contracts.
If you’re a Dan Kelly client, you’ll never have to worry about getting the short end of the deal ever again. Over the years, The Negotiator Guru has helped clients save $426 million or get deals worth $15 billion. They have also gained 232 clients worldwide. The company employs a team of savvy IT sourcing experts who’ve had substantial experience working for both the public and private sector.
In 2018, Dan Kelly led The Negotiator Guru to become an industry leader worldwide in terms of Salesforce contract negotiation advisory services. The company has reached this level of success because they simply deliver results. In a matter of 1 to 6 weeks, Dan’s clients save 20 to 50% on contracts.
Aside from running The Negotiator Guru, Dan Kelly is also a global thought leader. He accepts speaking engagements, from a short presentation to a day-long workshop. These engagements teach participants the practical skills they need to improve their existing competencies for the long-term.
In 2019, Dan Kelly also launched the State of the CIO podcast, so that IT leaders from across the world can discuss the evolving role of technology in a business world that is always in flux.
Check out more interviews with global industry leaders here. You can also check out Dan Kelly’s podcast here.
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Dan Kelly: We offer something very unique to our clients. Now that digital transformation became necessary, IT expenses are going up. So many software developers are using the spike in demand to grow their profits. We negotiate on behalf of our clients and reduce their IT Software expenses by up to 50%. In the end, everyone wins: our clients save, and software developers gain long-term customers instead of losing them to competitors. I guess there are not many businesses that can say that their goal is to make everyone win.
Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Dan Kelly: Identify and eliminate stress triggers by noting them down. Have a notebook next to you and write down when you feel stressed and what you are doing at a specific moment. Review your notes every few days and ask yourself if you could eliminate these tasks or change the process by delegating them to others. This technique will improve your mental health and eliminate stress.
Jerome Knyszewski: None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Dan Kelly: I am grateful to my mom, who served as my inspiration throughout my life. She was a hard worker and always succeeded in achieving her goals and make us proud.
Jerome Knyszewski: Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. Delegating effectively is a challenge for many leaders. Let’s put first things first. Can you help articulate to our readers a few reasons why delegating is such an important skill for a leader or a business owner to develop?
Dan Kelly: You must delegate to focus on what’s essential, continue running your business, and continue managing your finances effectively. If you do everything yourself — at some point, you have no more leads, no more clients, and no more money. Another benefit of delegating is that your people feel empowered and trusted; they learn new skills and stay motivated.
My first experience delegating responsibilities was life-changing. My company was growing when I finally had to hire my first executive. One day he came into my office at 8 PM and saw me working on my laptop. He asked, “Dan, what are you doing?” I told him I was working on proposals.
He said, “With all due respect, you should be delegating such stuff so that you can run the company.” His advice was spot on. I was obsessed over every tiny task that I could delegate. From that day, I worked hard to learn how to trust my team and focus on things that would drive my business forward.
Jerome Knyszewski: Can you help articulate a few of the reasons why delegating is such a challenge for so many people?
Dan Kelly: People are naturally afraid of change and doing things a new way. Delegating means accepting that you let go of control and that there are different ways to solve a problem or complete a task. Delegating requires a change in perspective. Stop being afraid of failure and thinking that no one else can do the job better than you.
Jerome Knyszewski: In your opinion, what pivots need to be made, either in perspective or in work habits, to help alleviate some of the challenges you mentioned?
Dan Kelly: Before overcoming the fear of delegation, ask yourself, what are you precisely afraid of? Are you worried about losing control? Missing project deadline? Letting down your customers? Once you know your fears, think of how you can minimize them. For example, if you are afraid that the deadline will be missed, set up a follow-up system. Use project management tools and make a running task list. Hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings to review the progress. Use reminders to keep track of the deadlines.
To ensure that the job is done well, provide your team with necessary trainings and resources (for example, screen recordings of a particular process), be available to answer questions, and welcome new ideas.
Jerome Knyszewski: Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Dan Kelly: I would start a movement: “Effective Negotiations Can Change Lives.” I would create educational centers across the globe to educate people and teach them the art of negotiation. It can open endless job opportunities and foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the poorest corners of our Plant. Once people become empathetic, honest, and fair negotiators, they can change the world — one win-win negotiation at a time.
Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?
Dan Kelly: Here’s my LinkedIn.
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!
