What are the pros and cons of negotiating in teams? How do we get more out of collaborative team negotiations? What happens when negotiation professionals get so caught up in worrying about what others think of them that they freeze and don’t close with a great ask? Michael shares advice on getting past the fear and delivering on the ask. Michael Leiken—now the Senior Director of Spend Management at LendingTree—created the procurement team at LendingTree from scratch. Michael shares from his 15+ years of experience in sourcing and procurement spanning multiple industries. Don’t miss his take on these two fascinating topics.  Outline of This Episode [2:30] Michael’s background in procurement [3:27] Taking a team approach to negotiation [6:31] How team negotiations boost creativity  [9:48] The downfalls of team-based negotiations [12:27] Overcome the fear of going in with your ask [21:27] STOP complication negotiations unnecessarily  [25:29] 3 ways improve your negotiation skills [28:27] How to connect with Michael Leiken Connect with Michael Leiken Connect on LinkedIn LendingTree Connect With Mark Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Follow Negotiations Ninja on LinkedIn Connect on Instagram: @NegotiationPod Subscribe to Negotiations Ninja