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Why you're getting this: Welcome to My New Meta, where I share hard-earned wisdom (and humour-filled faceplants) from 30 years of corporate real estate development. Like Patrick Lencioni's business fables, I tell real stories (as I remember them) that reveal powerful lessons.

Each week, I break down strategies that helped me climb from junior development engineer to company president - insights that could boost your salary by $20-50k this year (and give you a few laughs along the way).

No pressure to join the journey - unsubscribe anytime (I won't be notified or offended 😊*)

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Your annual review is coming up. With the right mix of sales and negotiation skills, you could boost your salary by $15-20k. Through 30 years of mistakes and wins in corporate leadership, I've discovered that nailing your review isn't about being perfect - it's about knowing which skills to use at the right time.

TLDR (The No-BS Version):

• Reviews require two different skill sets: sales and negotiation

• Most people jump straight to negotiating before selling their value

• This guide shows you exactly when to use each skill

• Follow this playbook to boost your next review by $15-20k

• Stay until the end for word-for-word scripts you can use

Let’s get into it.

Small Talk (not related to your annual review)

Last week, I proved once again that knowing when to shut up might be more valuable than knowing everything about real estate development.

My friend "Karen" (name changed to protect the innocent - and her reputation after what happened, and she is a subscriber) invited me to share some financial insights at a local university's student housing feasibility meeting. Not sure why - Karen already knows everything about real estate, from policy and market dynamics to complex development strategies. But there I was, armed with 30 years of experience and zero ability to read the room.

The plan was simple: Listen, nod wisely, maybe offer a few helpful suggestions about funding models. Instead, I transformed into Corporate Greg™ - you know, that guy who can't introduce himself without mentioning his corner office window count. While Karen humbly shared her decades of experience in a neat 10-second intro, I unleashed a four-minute TED Talk about my entire career, complete with enough real estate jargon to fill a textbook.

Every time Karen tried to speak, I jumped in with another brilliant observation about cap rates or capital stacks. By the end, I'm pretty sure my business card went straight from the boardroom table to the recycling bin. Meanwhile, Karen's probably getting a board position.

Lesson learned? Sometimes, the smartest person in the room is the one who remembers to actually let other people talk.

On to the main event…

The Show Home Disaster: A $500,000 Lesson in Sales vs Negotiation

The Saleperson Extraordinaire

SCENE: Last week in our home office. Kirsten is reviewing our CRM (for our chargeFUZE side hustle) while I'm "strategically planning" (hiding) behind my laptop.

KIRSTEN: (scrolling through the CRM) "Greg... interesting data here."

ME: (typing importantly) "Hmm?"

KIRSTEN: "According to our CRM, this week I've made 48 cold calls, booked 5 meetings, and I am close to closing 2 deals this month."

ME: (still typing) "That's great, honey! The chargeFUZE business is really taking off!"

KIRSTEN: "And you've made... let me check... zero calls. Unless we count those three times you called your own voicemail for 'practice.'" (If you missed it, see Issue #19: $2,295/Month To Avoid Talking To Humans)

ME: (finally looking up) "In my defense, I'm actually quite talented at business!"

KIRSTEN: (raising eyebrow) "Oh?"

ME: "I'm a master negotiator! Let me tell you about the day I learned the hard way that negotiating and selling are very different skills..."

[Flashback to 2013]

Picture this: I'm standing in a pristine show home, feeling pretty good about myself. I just negotiated a $40 million land deal that will fill my company’s housing pipeline for years.

How hard could selling one house be?

"Boss, it's just one couple," Mark, our star salesperson, says as he heads for the door. "Pre-qualified, basically a done deal. Just show them around, highlight the features, and don't..."

"Mark," I say confidently, "I handle multi-million dollar deals all the time. This'll be easy!"

Mark hesitates. "Just... try not to mention municipal development plans this time?"

Forty-five minutes later:

PROSPECT: "So tell us about the kitchen finishes."

ME: "Well, um, you see these are very high-quality... things. Made of... materials. Premium ones! And the, uh, cooking area is optimally positioned for maximum... cooking efficiency."

PROSPECT: "What about the countertops?"

ME: (desperately wishing I could turn this into a land deal) "They're very... counter-y? But we could discuss some value-engineering opportunities if we look at this from a cost-per-square-foot perspective over a 20-year development horizon..."

PROSPECT: "We're just looking for a family home."

ME: "Right! Yes! Families! Love them. Great target demographic. Have you considered the potential for future densification of this corridor under the municipal development plan?"

Those buyers took off like interns spotting the CEO.

Why Selling and Negotiating Are Different Games

After fielding some good-natured ribbing from the sales team the next day, here's what I learned about the difference between selling and negotiating:

Selling Is About Excitement

• Getting people interested in what you offer

• Showing how something makes life better

• Making people want what you have

Negotiating Is About Finding Middle Ground

• Working out deals that help everyone

• Trading things back and forth

• Finding solutions to problems

Think of it like this: Selling is getting someone excited about buying a car. Negotiating is working out the price and terms after they already want it.

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The Annual Review Season: Your Time to Shine

It's that time of year - annual review season. It is the time when careers take off, raises get approved, and, unfortunately, too many people leave money on the table because they don't know how to play both the selling and negotiating game.

I've sat on both sides of the review table. As an employee, I bombed my first reviews by jumping straight to negotiating before selling my value. As a boss, I watched talented people undersell themselves year after year.

Don't make those mistakes. Here's your playbook for nailing your review, whether it's coming up soon or months away.

Act 1: The Sales Pitch (Selling Your Past)

Setup

• Schedule your review for Tuesday or Wednesday morning

• Bring clear numbers and examples

• Have 3 big wins ready to discuss

Your Past Performance Story

1. Start with your biggest win

   • "Remember that project that saved us $50,000?"

   • "Let me show you how I helped land our biggest client..."

2. Share specific numbers

   • "Revenue increased 23% after my changes"

   • "Customer complaints dropped by half"

   • "Saved 10 hours per week with my new process"

3. Tell stories about helping others

   • "Trained 3 new team members"

   • "Helped marketing cut their report time by 30%"

   • "Covered for Sarah during her maternity leave"

Act 2: The Negotiation Dance (Selling Your Future)

Before You Talk Money

1. Paint your vision

   • "Here's what I see us achieving next year..."

   • "I've identified three big opportunities..."

2. Show you've done homework

   • "Industry standard for my role is..."

   • "With my new certifications..."

   • "Given my expanded responsibilities..."

The Money Talk

Start with this simple script:

YOU: "Based on my performance and the value I bring, I believe a raise of X% is fair. How can we work together to make this happen?"

THEM: [Their response]

YOU: Listen carefully. Their answer tells you which path to take:

If they say "No budget":

• "What targets would justify a mid-year review?"

• "Could we look at other benefits like..."

If they say "Maybe later":

• "Let's set clear goals for the next review"

• "What metrics would you need to see?"

If they say "Need approval":

• "What can I provide to help make the case?"

• "When should we follow up?"

Power Phrases for Different Moments

When Selling Your Value

• "This initiative delivered X results..."

• "My contributions led to..."

• "The team achieved X under my leadership..."

When Negotiating Terms

• "What if we explored..."

• "How could we structure..."

• "What would make this work for you..."

Red Flags: What Not to Say

Don't Use These Sales Phrases

• "I think I deserve..."

• "I've been here X years..."

• "Everyone else makes more..."

Don't Use These Negotiation Phrases

• "That's my final number"

• "I need an answer today"

• "I have another offer"

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Beyond the Annual Review

These skills work everywhere:

When Pitching New Ideas

• Start by selling the vision

• Then negotiate the resources

When Leading Projects

• Sell the team on the goal

• Negotiate how to get there

When Dealing with Clients

• Sell them on working together

• Negotiate the perfect deal

The $500,000 Lesson

Remember that couple looking for a house? They ran away when I tried to negotiate before selling them on their dream home.

Twelve years later, I realize I'm making a similar mistake with chargeFUZE - jumping straight into partnership negotiations before properly selling venues on the value of our product.

The lesson? Know which game you're playing and play them in the right order. First, get someone excited about what you offer - that's selling. Then work out the details of the deal - that's negotiating.

Master both, and you'll see your career take off. Just remember - no one wants to hear about municipal zoning laws when they're shopping for a kitchen.

Back to Present Day

KIRSTEN: (closing the CRM) "So what you're saying is..."

ME: "That I should probably start making some actual sales calls for chargeFUZE instead of just talking about that time I failed to sell a house?"

KIRSTEN: "And maybe stop trying to negotiate partnerships before we've sold them on the product?"

ME: "Point taken. But at least my mistakes make good newsletter content!"

KIRSTEN: (smiling) "True. Now pick up the phone and start practicing what you preach."

Print this guide. Practice the phrases. Master both skills. Grow your career. And maybe make a few actual sales calls while you're at it.

Curated Links: Random Business Links You Will Like

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2Read is an AI-powered reading companion app for Kindle users that seamlessly syncs highlights, provides context-aware word definitions, generates AI book summaries, and offers advanced learning tools to enhance reading comprehension and retention. The app transforms reading into an interactive experience by allowing users to edit, share, and deeply analyze their book highlights while tracking reading progress and providing personalized insights.

STORM, developed by Stanford University, is an AI-powered research tool that generates comprehensive Wikipedia-style articles on any given topic by conducting internet-based research and synthesizing information from multiple sources. It uses AI to simulate perspective-guided conversations, allowing it to create well-organized, factual content with proper citations in just minutes, making it a valuable asset for students, researchers, and content creators.

THAT’S A WRAP

Remember: The difference between good and great careers often comes down to playing the right game at the right time. While I managed to turn one failed house sale into decades of success by learning when to sell, and when to negotiate, you don't have to learn it the hard way. Take these lessons into your next review - sell your value first, negotiate your worth second.

Stay curious and keep negotia-selling^TM ,

Greg "Always Selling" Mills

P.S.: Know someone with an upcoming review? Forward this email. Their next salary bump will thank you.

If you liked what you read and are not a subscriber yet, join the crowd:

Here are some back issues if you are just not sure yet:

Issue #20: How Three Months of Silence Became a $5 Million Mistake 

Issue #19: $2,295/Month To Avoid Talking To Humans 

Issue #18: The 5-Step Guide to Losing $65k in Salary 

Looking for more to read:

Note: Some of the links in the newsletter are affiliate links. I believe in transparency and honesty, so if you want to know more, visit Full Partner Disclosure for details.