negotiation isn't winning

Oct 2

negotiation isn't winning the argument.

i used to think it was. us versus them. but that creates resistance.

the shift happened when i started selling verveschool's pay after placement program. my job wasn't to convince anyone. it was to help them see if the program solved their problem.

negotiation isn't manipulation. it's understanding what the other person values.

the best tool for this is calibrated questions. instead of telling someone what to do, you ask questions that make them think.

changes the dynamic from tug of war to collaboration.

instead of "you deserve a raise," ask "what would justify a salary increase?"

instead of arguing with a colleague, ask "what can be done to address both concerns?"

when you ask the right questions, you don't need to convince anyone. they convince themselves.

empathy isn't weakness. it's leverage.

when you're genuinely curious regarding someone's perspective, you unlock what really matters to them. once you know that, progress becomes possible.

if a colleague takes credit for your work, don't call them out. ask if there might have been confusion on project roles.

clears the air without drama.

the next time you face a tough conversation, forget winning. focus on the person in front of you.

ask a calibrated question. listen actively. show empathy.

you're not just closing deals. you're building relationships that last.

Ayush Duggal

Ayush Duggal is the kind of founder who looked at India’s graduate unemployment problem and thought, “What if the real issue isn’t jobs or skills, but the complete lack of believable salespeople?” So he built VerveSchool. A place where the overlooked learn the overlooked skill. Sales. Not the sleazy kind. The kind that actually works. The kind where someone trusts you enough to say yes without hating themselves afterwards.

He teaches people how to sell like they mean it. Not because a script told them to. But because they’ve actually understood what it means to solve a problem for someone who’s barely listening. It’s more psychology than pipeline. More theatre than theory. More “shut up and listen” than “always be closing.”

VerveSchool runs on a Pay After Placement model. Which, let’s be honest, is probably how all education should work. You pay when it works. Not before. Radical, apparently. But only if you're still pretending the current system makes sense.

Ayush is allergic to mediocrity and buzzwords. He prefers late-night coaching calls to keynote speeches. He’d rather get one ambitious underdog to a 7 LPA role than impress a room full of VCs who’ve never had to sell a ₹15,000 course to a broke 24-year-old with a BA pass degree.

He’s read more Osho than MBA textbooks and thinks most “career advice” would make more sense if it came with a warning label. He doesn’t do fake humility. Or fake urgency. Just real people, real growth, and real results.

https://verveschool.com

negotiation isn't winning

think in english

let go