The way of the peaceful negotiator
An interview with Cloud Moss


For over 15 years, Cloud Moss has been president of Cumulus Presents, Inc., a music promotion business located in Sebastopol, California.  In 2008, he added the title of managing partner of Back Roads Productions, LLC, producing music festivals and concerts and booking musical acts.  Both businesses help raise money for non-profits working on projects to keep music and arts in our schools.  Part of his business philosophy is that everything relies on community—building it, supporting it and trusting it.

As part of his job, Cloud negotiates contracts for his clients and with performing artists and their agents for concerts and festivals.  “I generally have a low-key approach, very honest and informative to any given situation,” he told me when I asked him about the various roles he takes on in negotiations.  Fisher and Shapiro, in their book “beyond reason” (2005), define numerous temporary roles negotiators may find themselves playing.  For Cloud, common roles are listener, brainstormer, compromiser, colleague and facilitator.  And sometimes Devil’s advocate.

“I believe in building community and that every party needs to be considered in a negotiation to have the best possible arrangement for all concerned.  If I am dealing with an ‘old-school,’ aggressive, straight capitalistic approach negotiator, then I will either say I am not interested or call him out for his tactics.  In some cases, I will play along, letting the other negotiator feel as if they had won the negotiation.”

Cloud stresses the need to arrive at an agreement that provides mutual benefit to both parties.  He says it is important to arrive at an end point that is acceptable to “…both yourself and the other party.”  One way to assure this is to use objective criteria quite often and to be as open in your communication as possible.

“Everyone in a negotiation should be given some credence for their position,” he says, touching on what Fisher and Shapiro would call status.  “Also, be reasonable, fair and prepared and people will want to continue to do business with you and help you out when they can.”  These are the techniques Cloud has used to produce the successful Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, signing artists this year such as Taj Mahal, Bruce Cockburn, Mavis Stapes, Los Lobos, Todd Snider and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  

His parting advice for the novice negotiator is to do your homework, understand logistics, and know your own comfort level in advance so you know where you can comfortably compromise.  “Be realistic and at the same time understand that negotiation, in and of itself, is a process of compromise,” he says.  Wise words from a wise negotiator.