NEGOTIATE COMMISSION PROPERLY- Dickson Jere

NEGOTIATE COMMISSION PROPERLY
By Dickson Jere

As a young reporter at the Post Newspaper, I was close to Anglo CEO Anderson Mazoka. So, the Post Newspaper cartoonist Trevor Ford aka “Trev”, drew a nice piece of Mazoka titled “Anglo Andy”.
Mazoka loved the cartoon and asked me to negotiate with Trev for the original print at a fee. He agreed to sell the cartoon at K12,000.

“But if you sell him above K12,000, you get everything above the 12,000,” Trev said, adding that should the price fetch for only 12,000, I would get 5% commission.

I set up a meeting at Anglo building just opposite the High Court. We had agreed with Trev to meet up at his favorite joint – Macgintys – Southern Sun where he patronized at his native Irish pub.
We then took a walk across to Anglo in time for 18:00 hours meeting at the rooftop office bar with Mazoka. The huge drawing was presented to him and he loved it.
“It is going for K15,000…” I told him and without hesitation said he would in fact pay K20,000, which he immediately did.

Outside, on way back to Southern Sun, Trev took out the K3,000 and gave me as the commission.
“But he paid K20,000, so my commission is K8,000…” I vehemently protested.
“You gave him the figure of K15,000 and he decided to increase on his own to K20,000. So anything above 15,000 is mine,” Trev rudely retorted.

I was furious!

That is how my relationship with old Muzungu Trev deteriorated and never to be repaired until his death!

But then, I learnt something from that experience. Always negotiate your commission in business with proper agreement and all scenarios covered. Maka maka my estate agents…
Was he right even?
I felt conned by the Muzungu…