How Steve Jobsachieved a historic deal for Apple with AT&T.The agreement shows that, among other things, Apple receives about $10 per month from the account of each iPhone user who is an AT&T customer, while the colossal technology company controls the distribution, pricing and sale of the phones.
The Apple founder managed to close this deal thanks to his own personal involvement since early 2005.
Its three basic principles were:
– Attention to detail: So according to testimonies from the grueling negotiation, the Apple founder was completely different from any other CEO. He had met in person with all the mobile phone companies and had exhaustive discussions about all the details. He believed that, especially in the new beginning, the beginning is everything.
– You have to make your interlocutors share your vision: Jobs believed that if you are a businessman with a vision and have done your best to explain your vision to your partners and they don't understand it, then you should do something bold.
During negotiations with AT&T, Jobs offered to write a check for $1 billion (Apple had $5 billion in cash at the time) if the iPhone deal fell through. This was to show his confidence that the deal would go through.
– Third tip, make and defend outrageous demands: This explains how Jobs managed to make the deal with AT&T so profitable for the company.
On the other hand, it may also be the determination to achieve the outrageous demands that made him so successful.
