ALWAYS MAKE THE SECOND EFFORT
Perhaps the other side is agreeing to your core proposal
but is balking at the expensive extras. Understand what
goes on in people's minds when they make a decision. They
fight the decision up to the point when they make it. Then
their mind does a flip-flop, and they want to do things to
reinforce the decision that they made earlier.
Danger Point: You've reached agreement on the core
items, but you're reluctant to make a second effort on the
extras because you don't want to lose the entire thing.
Solution: Wait until they've signed the contract and say,
"Could we take another look at those extras. I don't recommend
it for everybody, but for you I really feel strongly that
it's the way for you to go." Because their mind wants to reinforce
their earlier decision, you have a good chance of their
agreeing to reconsider.
TAPER DOWN THE SIZE OF
YOUR CONCESSIONS
The size of your concessions can create a pattern of
expectations in the other person's mind. If each concession
is bigger than the one you've made before, you encourage
the other side to extend the negotiations.
Danger Point: Time pressure is building and you're
eager to reach agreement. Your concessions get bigger and
bigger.
Solution: Start with a reasonable concession and then
taper down the size of your concessions. If necessary, take a
small concession off the table at the last moment.
POSITION FOR EASY ACCEPTANCE
Sometimes a negotiation will deadlock at the last
moment. When a negotiation deadlocks like this, the ego of
the other people probably got in the way. They want to
accept your proposal, but they don't want to feel that they
lost to you as a negotiator. Position them for easy acceptance
with a very small concession made just at the last
moment.
Danger Point: You don't realize it, but the other side
bragged to their boss that they would get a large concession
from you. Now they are not doing as well as they hoped,
and they are reluctant to give in to you.
Solution: Save a small concession for the last moment.
Tell them, "I can't budge another dollar on the price, but go
along with that and here's what I'll do. I'll personally supervise
the installation so that you'll know it will go well."
Perhaps you had planned to do that anyway, but now
you've been courteous enough to let them feel that they
traded something off.
ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
Gathering information is critical to conducting a successful
negotiation. Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions.
Even if they refuse to answer, you're still gathering information
by evaluating their reaction to being asked.
Danger Point: You're only asking the questions that you
think they will answer.
Solution: Ask the tough questions. Perhaps they will
answer, because information that was confidential or privileged
information is no longer so. But even if they don't
answer, you're still gathering information.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE TO A NEGOTIATOR
The longer that you can keep the other side in a negotiation,
the more chance you have of getting what you want.
When you're beginning to think that the other side will never
come around to your point of view, think of the tiny tug boats
that can move those huge ocean liners around — if they do it
a little bit at a time.
Danger Point: The longer you are in a negotiation, the
more likely you are to make concessions. Because your subconscious
mind is saying to you, "I can't walk away from
this empty-handed after all the time I've spent on this."
Solution: When faced with the temptation to make concessions
to the other side, forget about what you have invested
in getting to this point. You cannot recoup that, whatever you
do. Your only consideration should be, "Is it smart to move
forward from here?"
Learn more about Roger Dawson and his bestselling
audio program The Secrets of Power Negotiating.