Lara GuevaraSupply Chain expert (Product and Service)

The Hardest Negotiation I Ever Won Was In Person

20 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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1:01

In this brief interview, Speaker A reflects on how many brand owners never visit their manufacturing factories, noting that personal, on‑site engagement can improve negotiations, business outcomes, and relationships. Lara Guevara adds that for Asian vendors, face‑to‑face meetings are especially critical, and she cites her toughest successful negotiation as one conducted in person. She warns that such direct interactions will become increasingly important as geopolitical tensions, exemplified by the ongoing Middle East war, complicate international sourcing and negotiations.

Chapters

I've taken it for granted how many brand owners actually visit their factories, 'cause I'm new to this, and I just always visit my factory 'cause I have to, and I'm very close, you know? But then the longer I've been in this game, the more I've realized that actually a lot of people don't visit their factories. Some people don't even, have never visited their factories, some brand owners, you know? And that's crazy to me, and I've just heard so many stories about that A, going wrong, but B, when you develop that personal relationship and you're actually visiting and physically, engaging and interacting with your factory, it just, good things can happen, from a negotiation perspective, from a business perspective, from a relationship perspective. So I can definitely testify that as well.
At least for Asian vendors, it's really important. The face-to-face, it's really, really important for them. The most, the hardest negotiation I have, I want it in person. And so that's something that brand owners should consider because it's going to be harder and harder as we deal with this Middle East War.