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Joel Jordan (Big J or Jay) is from North Carolina and went to school at Johnson C. Smith College in North Carolina. Big J works in the entertainment agency as a booking agent, artist manager, and does contract negotiations for clients.  Big J has work in the entertainment industry for about 20 years and would not change it for the world. The name of his company is J’s Entertainment and he travels around North America doing shows with entertainers.  He went to school for business and worked as a promoter for himself.  He would go to clubs and promote his business as well as promote for the clubs in North Carolina.  Big J and his friend saved up enough money to put showcases together which would highlight local acts from North Carolina.  The money they made from each showcase was used to book their first artist who was already established in the entertainment business.

 

So are you ready to answer some questions?

Yes sir, let’s dive in.

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How has your experience been in the entertainment industry?

My experience in the entertainment industry has been great. I have meet a lot of nice people who helped me along the way.  My mentor taught me a lot about the business of entertainment and I am still learning new things as of today.  I think it’s very important to keep up with the times as negotiations change with each generation.

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Do you feel that you are a good negotiator? 

Um…I like to consider myself to be pretty good with negotiation when it comes down to making deals for my clients and for clients that I work with.  I think it’s very important to be able to represent a client in a good manner.

 How many times a week or a month do you negotiate? 

I do about 3 negotiations a week, so I would say about 12 in a month.  Sometimes more but the average is about 12 a month.

What's the most challenging negotiation you had to complete? 

I really can’t give detail on negotiations, because we have clause with each client.  The most challenging negotiation that I had to handled, I would say negotiating a deal that involved Lil Bow Wow (at the time). He was on the scream tour and I had make deals that would involve him getting paid for each club that he attended and any performance that he did at each club on the tour.  After each show the clubs wanted him to announce where the after party was.  The club owners would get mad that they had to negotiate a deal just for having Lil Bow Wow say that.  That did not realize that he had to get paid for using his name.  Once we arrived at a city, I had to meet with the club owners and discussed deals. Sometimes things would work out and sometimes things would not.

Which negotiation are you most proud of? 

I would say that I am proud of all of them, even the ones I failed at.  Each negotiation taught me something new, and I have learned something from each one and took what I have learned and used it in the next negotiation.  Failing will only make you better and when you learn from your mistakes you will be better in the future.  But I am proud of the negotiation that I did with Freeway who was sign to Jay Z’s record label.  I was able to book a tour for the artist that involved a lot of investors.  The deal was not easy to complete it took about two weeks to come to an agreement. Once it was done everybody was happy and we all made money.

Can you tell me about a time you failed to reach an agreement in negotiations? 

Yes, I was with a client and we could not come to an agreement on who was going to preform first and who would go last.  Each manager felt that their client was the best.  Our clients were opening acts for Young Jeezy.  Normally the last person would be considered the head liner, so we had to sit down and negotiate a deal.  It did not go the way we planned it to go, so we backed out of the deal and negotiated a deal with another club that would feature my client as the opening act for Young Jeezy on another show.

What is a good negotiation deal? 

A good negotiation would be a win win situation for each party that is involved in the negotiation.  For me it is important that each party is happy and we walk away with an understanding of everything that took place.  The way I see it, if everyone is happy, we might be able to do business together in the future.  You should always keep your line of connections open.  Never know when you may need them for something in the future.

 

How do you plan for negotiations? 

The way I plan for a negotiation is to practice what I am going to say and make sure that I have all my ducks in order.  I think it’s very important to know who you are dealing with as well.  So make sure you do your research before the battle.  The worst thing is to go into battle unprepared for a deal and you do not reach your goal.  You have to remember that you are not only representing your client, but yourself as well.  This will determine a good deal vs a bad deal. It will also determine how your client perceives you. 

 Is it important to do research before a negotiation?  

Yes, very important, doing research can give you a one up on the person you are negotiating with.  It kind of gives you an idea of who and what you are dealing with.  You should know as much as you can about the company and the person, so you will know how to go into battel and hopefully come out on top.

 

What is your style for negotiation? 
My style is to allow them to put everything on the table first. I always say let me here what you are offering my client.  When I have a question I will stop them and asked them to make sure we are on the same page.  I like to hear them out first and see if they are offering more than we expected.  Sometimes they will say more and you will get that plus what you asked for.

 

 What strategies have you used to influence the other side in negotiations? 

Sometimes I try to take them out of their comfort zone. I will try to remind them of something they thought they said earlier in the conversation. I like to go in and get things done very quickly, I am straight to the point, and again I let them go first and write while they are talking.  That gives me the chance to ask the right questions.

Is it important to understand the other side's needs in negotiations? 

So you both can come to an agreement.  I want both parties in the negotiation need to be happy and walk away feeling like they have accomplished something.  Each person has a part in the negotiation and they are trying to make sure that they are satisfied and they have acted in the best need of who they are representing.

 
How do you deal with intimidation? 

I don’t, if at any time I feel that anyone is trying to get over on me I will call it quits or give them a chance to calm down.  My best interest is my client and I think my client trust me enough to know that I am doing something on behalf on his best interest. This works really good when the company comes to you because they want to use your client for whatever the reason is. 

You're in a negotiation and the other party is lying, how do you deal with it?

Yes, the one thing that we have on our side is technology, and there has been many times where I had to use my phone to look up information about something that was being said in a negotiation. I try to stick to the facts and what I know through experience, if it doesn’t sound right then I am going to ask questions.  I have no problem with pointing out the fact that I don’t believe them or calling them on their bluff.

 

How do you control your emotions? 

I try to stay calm at all times, I like to watch people and see how they react to questions.  Watching them will let me know that my emotions are running high.  I will lean back in my chair and take a deep breath and have a drink of water or orange juice. I like to have orange juice when negotiation deals.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to negotiation deals for a living?

I would tell them to make sure they really want to do this type of work; this is not your typical 9 to 5 job.  This job could mean the big break you been waiting for or just another deal.  Be patient because a deal could take an hour or it could take week to complete.  Know the people that you are dealing with.  Make sure that you do research on them and the company they represent.  Check to see how long the company has been in operation, who have they worked with, how much was the previous people paid.  Be ready for counter offers, know that they will have a comeback for each offer you present them. 

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Big J, thank you so much for your time.

No problem, good luck with school and if you need me for anything please give me a call.

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Pictures provided by Joel Jordan, J's Entertainment

 

Reference:

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Mar, A. (2013, February 6). 97 Negotiation Interview Questions. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://careers.simplicable.com/careers/new/97-negotiation-

 

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