Most negotiations don’t fail because people lack training.

They fail because the negotiation strategy is flawed.

I help leaders and organizations create measurable economic value in negotiations by shifting focus from tactics to structure, value creation, and trust.

Through the SMARTnership™ and NegoEconomics™ frameworks, organizations typically unlock up to 42% additional value in commercial negotiations—without damaging relationships or increasing risk.

What I Do Differently

I founded The SMARTnership™ Negotiation Organization to move negotiations away from confrontation and toward collaboration that delivers measurable results.

Our award-winning model, NegoEconomics™, helps organizations uncover value that traditional negotiations miss—often up to 42% additional value by redesigning how deals are structured, not just how prices are argued.

And yes—those results are guaranteed.

⸻

Why Organizations Trust SMARTnership™
	•	World’s most awarded negotiation methodology 
               (12+ international awards)
	•	Ranked #2 negotiation workshop globally by Global 
               Gurus
	•	Used by organizations, leaders, and governments in 
               50+ countries
	•	Delivered through a global network of certified 
               partners across continents

We replace outdated tactics with trust, transparency, and value creation—and the outcomes speak for themselves.

⸻

My Background
	•	Former CEO of a public technology company
	•	Doctorate focused on negotiation, artificial   
               intelligence, and trust
	•	Author of 27 books, published in 38 countries
	•	Executive MBA faculty and guest professor 
               worldwide
	•	Judge at international negotiation finals
	•	Ranked Top 2 Negotiation Expert globally by Global 
               Gurus

⸻

What Actually Motivates Me

Titles and trophies are not the point.

What drives me is helping people and organizations achieve more together—not at the expense of others, but with them.

That’s the real power of SMARTnership™.

⸻

If you want negotiations built on trust, measurable value, and outcomes that last, let’s connect.

Keld Jensen

In Houston this week, along with Daniel Woltman, CAE, MSM. We’re meeting with clients and I discovered a horse at the Post Oak Hotel. I wanted to share this with Sally Guyer and Craig Conte, who I know will enjoy it 😅

SMARTnership Negotiation #negotiation #contract

Dr. Keld Jensen (DBA)

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Stop Reading Contracts. Start Re-Designing Deals.

Are you still spending days manually combing through 35-page contracts to find risk and leverage? If so, you might be leaving up to 42% of a deal's potential value on the table.

I’ve spent 30+ years in commercial negotiations, and I can tell you: the game has changed. My research team and I have been focused on how AI fundamentally shifts the landscape from "positional" haggling to what I call NegoEconomics.

In this clip, I demonstrate how we use AI and specific prompt engineering to do what used to take days in just 5 to 10 minutes. (no specific software or contract management tool)

How I'm using AI to optimize contracts:

✅Speed & Structure: Scanning hundreds of pages to produce a structured SMARTnership analysis in seconds.

✅Identifying Variables: Extracting nearly 100 negotiation variables—financial, operational, and strategic—that are often invisible to the human eye.

✅Asymmetric Value: Finding variables that cost one party very little but provide massive value to the other, allowing us to expand the pie rather than just slice it.

✅From Defense to Design: Shifting the conversation from "protecting margins" to "jointly managing risk" through a collaborative lens.

Forget the 'theater' in negotiations. The future of negotiation isn't about tactics or reading body language—it's about information and value creation. 

👇 Watch the clip below to see my AI-driven "Scorecard" and "Variable Register" in action. I apologize, that's 10:48 minutes of being a negotiation/contract nerd.

I'd love to hear your thoughts: How are you currently leveraging AI in your negotiation/contract workflows?

Do you want a copy of the documents created in this video? Read my article on Thursday, March 19th, published right here. 

#Negotiation #AI #SMARTnership #NegoEconomics #ContractOptimization #FutureOfNegotiation #ValueCreation World Commerce & Contracting Tim Cummins Sally Guyer #contractmanagement #legal #contract #ai Tiffany Kemp Gražvydas Jukna Moïse NOUBISSI Tine Anneberg Juan Manuel García P. Kevin Tuinte Jason Myrowitz

This Thursday, Tim Cummins and I are hosting Thomas Erikson in The Negotiation Room.

Thomas is the bestselling author of 'Surrounded by Idiots' and 'Surrounded by Narcissists',  and he has helped millions of people better understand difficult behavior and communication styles.

Together, we’ll discuss narcissistic and idiotic behavior in negotiation — because sometimes the biggest challenge is not the deal, but the behavior across the table.

If you have ever met a narcissistic behavior at the negotiation table or expect to, you want to be on this webinar. 

📆19 March
🕒08:00 am PST | 3:00 pm BST | 4:00 pm CET | 

Attending is free but requires registration; https://lnkd.in/gHzGmuzE

#Negotiation #Leadership #Communication #WorldCC #SMARTnership #ThomasErikson World Commerce & Contracting BMI Executive Institute BMI Alumni Executive Club Jurga Bendikaite-Ursavas SMARTnership Negotiation Tine Anneberg Gražvydas Jukna Juan Manuel García P. Jason Myrowitz Tiffany Kemp

🛑 Stop Negotiating Like It’s 1999.

I just audited a $400M contract using a proprietary AI prompt architecture.

In less than 10 minutes, the AI found what a team of human experts usually misses: 100+ hidden negotiation variables and an invisible potential 42% value gap.

If you are still relying on "gut feeling" and "positional bargaining," you aren't just losing time—you are hemorrhaging value.

In my latest article, I pull back the curtain on:
✅ How NegoEconomics is replacing zero-sum haggling.
✅ Why your 35-page contract is actually a Value-Generation Map.
✅ The 10-minute audit that should terrify every unprepared negotiator.

The era of the "haggler" is over. The era of the Value Architect has begun.

👇 Read the full breakdown and watch the audit in action here:

#Negotiation #AI #SMARTnership #NegoEconomics #DrKeldJensen #FutureOfBusiness World Commerce & Contracting BMI Executive Institute UCLouvain I BMI Executive Institute Tine Anneberg Gražvydas Jukna Tiffany Kemp Juan Manuel García P. Jason Myrowitz  Moïse NOUBISSI Tarek Amine Inam Jan

Most negotiators are walking into the room blind. They rely on "gut feeling," decades of experience, and a stack of legal markups. But while they are 

Open article: I Used AI to Audit a $400M Deal. What I Found in 10 Minutes Should Terrify Every Negotiator in the World. by Dr. Keld Jensen (DBA) • 3 min read

I Used AI to Audit a $400M Deal. What I Found in 10 Minutes Should Terrify Every Negotiator in the World.

Who says the toughest negotiator leaves with the most value?

For years, business culture rewarded the loudest voice.
The hardest anchor.
The last-minute squeeze.
But what if that model is financially outdated?

We analyzed 314 negotiators across industries and countries.

The data showed something clear:
Trust explains approximately 13.5% of the variance in achieving mutually beneficial agreements.
Not charisma.
Not aggression.
Not demographics.

Trust.

Higher trust correlated with:
• Greater likelihood of mutual gains and NegoEconomics (google it)
• Better communication quality
• Higher satisfaction with negotiated results

This isn’t about being soft.
It’s about being economically smart.

In complex commercial negotiations, transparency and structured trust creation outperform intimidation.

If you negotiate contracts, partnerships, procurement agreements, M&A — this research matters.

Download the full peer-reviewed research paper and decide for yourself whether “toughest” still wins: https://lnkd.in/g3bQbYmy

#negotiation SMARTnership Negotiation AAU Executive - MBA and HD at Aalborg University BMI Executive Institute BMI Alumni Executive Club UCLouvain I BMI Executive Institute Global Gurus Tine Anneberg Gražvydas Jukna Juan Manuel García P. Jason Myrowitz Tiffany Kemp Moïse NOUBISSI Daniel Woltman, CAE, MSM Sally Guyer Tim Cummins

Delek US Holdings, Inc.

●	Development and execution of the Category Management Strategy, for CAPEX Project, plant maintenance, and annual turnarounds, including activities with main stakeholders: Legal, Risk, Operations, Subject Matter Experts (SME), head of functions, category managers, and business owners.
●	Management of more than 300 active contracts in alignment with the overall procurement strategy for the Delek’s refinery at Krotz Springs. 
●	 Conducts sourcing events (RFP, RFI), bid evaluations, commercial negotiations, supplier selection and contract award & execution. Value Capture over $3M/year for goods, services, fabricated equipment, leases, and sourcing initiatives. for operations, maintenance, capital Projects, and turnarounds
●	Reviews contract performance and ensures compliance with contract pricing, terms and conditions and service levels. Assists with Category Management to minimize contract value leakage and ensure contract compliance for key suppliers (Mechanical Contractors, Chemicals, MRO, etc.)
●	 Utilize spend analysis and marketing Intelligence tools (IHS Markit, Procurement IQ, etc.) to evaluate and negotiate commercial rate schedules with key suppliers.
●	Support team with tactical activities associated with P2P, to place Purchase Orders, assist stakeholders with requisition inquiries, billing issues, dispute resolutions, by interacting with Accounts Payable and Legal as needed.

Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Manager

Atlantic Methanol

TAR Contracts Specialist. Turnaround March 2019.
•	Support the development of the turnaround procurement strategy.
•	Hands-on execution of 50+ contracts from supplier identification to executed agreement related to a major plant turnaround with a spend of USD 50 MM

Project Contracts, Turnaround & Procurement Manager

Datum Sourcing

•	Provided contract and negotiation consulting services for International Project in South America. 

Keywords: Project, International Procurement, Imports, Project Procurement Manager, Projects, Procurement Process, Procurement Manager

Owner

CB&I

International Project Procurement Management for the LNG Industry and Ethane Cracker.●	Axiall/Lotte JV Ethane Cracker Project & Elba Island LNG Export Terminal Project (Shell-KM JV)
●	FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) negotiations, budget and schedule preparation.
●	Using CB&I tools CMS, Smart Plant, MateriaLink (Bidding System) and Supplier Portal negotiated key project contracts during the EPC phase.

Project Contracts & Procurement Manager- FEL Projects

Curtiss-Wright Controls

Acting in different capacities: Procurement Consultant, Procurement Manager, Buyer, and Logistics Advisor successfully set up an “ad hoc” high-performance international procurement organization to urgently deliver materials needed for a $20 M valve automation project

Project Procurement Manager

Total Services Orenoque S.A.S

International Procurement for onshore upstream and downstream project to the oil industry. 
	Effectively negotiated contracts for a major turnaround upstream and downstream oil operation.
●	 Successfully coordinated a 0.5-billion-dollar international procurement project, providing effective negotiations and controls to deliver equipment and related services in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.


keywords: Project Procurement Manager, Sourcing,Global Sourcing, International Procurement, Export Compliance

Project Contracts & Procurement Manager at TOTAL Services Orenoque S.A.S

CEMEX

Creatively explored different approaches in negotiation agreements, leveraging business strengths and creating alliances with suppliers to obtain the best integrated supply cost. Oversees the process of spend analysis, market intelligence, commodity teams coordination, sourcing opportunity identification, negotiation, and implementation of strategic sourcing deals.
Leveraged business strengths and created alliances with stakeholders to obtain best-integrated results. Oversaw processes using the 7-Step Global Sourcing process developed by AT Kearney.
●	Delivered through effective negotiations $6 million savings in different agreements reached.
●	Developed optimization models for the annual replacement of mobile equipment.
●	Successfully managed teams with more than 40 members from different countries and cultures, ensuring team-members engagement and effectiveness.
●	Obtained up to 95% compliance of global agreements in all the business units, capturing the full value of the negotiated agreements.


Keywords Procurement, Sourcing,Global Sourcing, Project Procurement Manager, Project

Global Sourcing Negotiator - Logistics, Mobile Equipment

Reviewed and analyzed operational and financial results and recommended actions to achieve and
outperform annual budget. Initiated, managed and coordinated a $30 Million capital expenditure budget.
Developed risk operational contingency plans during strikes and/or emergencies.

Keywords: Project Manager, Procurement, Sourcing, Operations, Projects, Project Procurement Manager, Procurement Manager

Director of CAPEX and Operations Planning

Designed and Implemented technical projects to improve business competitiveness. Developed technology
standards and best practices for operations
- Directed evaluations of wet and dry technologies resulting in 50% energy consumption reduction
- Coordinated Joint Ventures with the Oil Sector for Cement H production increasing the plant
operation’s profitability in 15%.
- Led a project to utilize recycled oil in the Cement Kilns with annual benefits of $5 M.

Keywords: Project Manager, Projects, Procurement Manager, Sourcing

Corporate Technical Director

Led a team of 20 construction engineers, quality control managers, and environmental specialists, that
conducted a $35 million revamping plan for a successful production increase of 17%.
- Increased a kiln 6 capacity from 2,700 tons/day to 3,150 tons/day by re-engineering existing
processes.
- Successfully improved the environmental impact of the kiln 6 by re-circulating the kiln dust. The
Project reduced the filter emissions from 225 ppm to 180 ppm, below the regulation standards.
- Jointly with Operations increased effective availability to 95%.

Keywords: Project, Projects, Project Manager, Procurement, Sourcing,Global Sourcing, Operations

Plant Projects Manager

Responsible for the strategic automation plan of the largest cement plant in Venezuela. Successfully
executed a $12 million automation project. Designed the instrumentation and automation specifications
for 3,500 tons/day kiln

Systems Project Manager

Electricidad de Caracas

Responsible for all aspects of the design and management of the power distribution network, including
expansion requirements, networks design, and construction guidelines.
- Led projects in the areas of demand forecasting, use of capacitors to improve network voltage profiles
resulted in a reduction in 5% of new generation capacity to meet peak demand

Electrical Engineer

Effective strategic supply chain, sourcing, and contracts manager with progressive responsibility in global negotiations, international procurement, category management, stakeholder management, contracts, supply chain procedures, CAPEX management, gated projects, maintenance, operations, turnarounds, and team management 

An electrical engineer with an MBA degree and certifications in negotiations, project management Professional Certification (PMP) and Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM). Fluent in English and Spanish. 

Experience includes leading multinational negotiations and contracts in the Methanol, oil and gas, power, and cement industries in direct and indirect categories. Assignments in Venezuela, Dominic Republic, Mexico, Africa, Europe, and USA.



Keywords: Project Procurement Manager, Sourcing, Global Sourcing, turnarounds, contracts, Capital Projects, CAPEX,

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Miguel Briceno, MBA, CPSM , PMP

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