Negotiation – Tactics, Tricks And Threats
Most successful negotiators recognize that the way people involved in negotiations behave does not always reflect their true feelings or intentions. We are going to look at the negotiation tactics that you can use on yourself or on yourself. Whether you choose to use these tactics or not, it is vital to understand:
o Tactical work
o They can be worn on you, and they can be worn by you
o Once recognized as tactics, their effects are reduced or removed
You may feel that there is no need in your particular case to negotiate or resort to tactics. in negotiation This is a matter of personal choice.
In general, the tactics are used to gain a short-term advantage during the negotiation and are designed to lower your expectations of reaching a successful conclusion.
There are many tactics available to negotiators. Here are a few you may recognize.
preconditioning:
This can start even before you meet or start your negotiations with the other party. Let’s take a sales example:
You call for the appointment and the other side says, aggressively:
“Don’t bother coming here if you’re going to tell me about price increases. You’ll be wasting your time and I’ll have to talk to your competitors.”.
When you arrive, they make you wait at the reception for half an hour, without being told why. As you walk through the door into the other person’s office, they motion for you to sit down, but they don’t look up. Instead, they sit flipping through your competitor’s brochure, silently ignoring your efforts to make conversation.
They give you a low, uncomfortable chair to sit in that is directly in line with the sun shining on the office. At this stage, how confident do you feel?
The monkey on the back:
Some negotiators have the annoying habit of handing their problems over to you so that they become your problems. This is the “monkey on its back” that they want you to carry for them.
A classic example is the person who says: “I only have £10,000 in my budget”.
This is often used tactically to force a price cut. This is what you can do.
When one side says “I only have £10,000 in budget”look concerned and say something like:
“That’s a problem. As you’re no doubt aware, the cost of our systems can be up to £20,000 and I really want to help you choose the best system to suit your needs. Does that mean if one of our systems has everything you’re looking, but it’s £20,000, would you rather I didn’t show it to you?”
The “monkey” has been returned and they have a choice to make. If the objection is genuine and the budget figure is correct, you should try to find an alternative that meets your needs as well as theirs.
If they can really only spend £10,000, that’s not a tactic but the truth. When dealing with tactics, the first decision to make is whether it is a tactic or a genuine situation. If it’s genuine, you have a problem to solve, rather than a tactic to overcome.
The use of higher authority:
This can be the most effective way to reduce negotiation pressure by introducing an invisible third party and can also be effective in closing the deal.
“I need this to be agreed upon by my Board of Directors.” “If they agree to the terms we’ve discussed, do we have a deal?”
However, be careful to use this device sparingly so that the other party does not begin to feel that you do not have decision-making authority yourself.
One way to counter this tactic is to say before the negotiation begins: “If this proposal meets your needs, is there any reason why you wouldn’t give me your decision today?”
If the other party still wants to turn to a higher authority, appeal to their ego by saying: “Of course, they will agree with your recommendations, won’t they? Will you recommend this proposal?”
nibbling:
Negotiations can be an exhausting process. As the time when a deal is likely approaches, both parties display a psychological need to settle and move on to something else.
You are very vulnerable when the other party takes your pen to sign the order form or contract, to grant items that do not significantly affect the final result. “Oh, by the way, this includes free shipping, right?” Prayed “Oh, by the way, does the price of the car include a full tank of gas?”
Bites work best when they are small and requested at the right psychological moment. Just like peanuts, eat enough and they get fat.
Good negotiators often hold certain items off their wish list until the last minute when the other party is vulnerable. Be careful with this.
The good and the bad:
You may have come across this tactic before or seen it in movies or on TV. This is a tactic designed to soften you up in the negotiation.
For example, you are negotiating the renewal of your service contract with the Director of Purchasing and your Director of Finance. You present your proposal and the purchasing manager suddenly gets angry and storms off muttering to himself how unfair you’ve been and that the relationship is truly over.
You pick up your briefcase and are shown to the door when the Finance Director smiles warmly at you and says:
“I’m so sorry about that. He’s under a lot of pressure. I’d like to help you renew your contract, but he won’t really consider the price you’ve suggested. Why don’t I go and talk to him about it and see if we can come to a compromise? What’s the end result of the contract? If you give me your best price, I’ll see what I can do.”
The best way to deal with this tactic is to recognize the game that is being played and assess exactly what the quality of the relationship is. You might be able to say something like:
“Come on, you’re using good guy, bad guy. You’re an excellent negotiator, but let’s sit down and discuss the proposal realistically.”.
If you don’t have this kind of relationship, stand your ground and insist on dealing with the bad guy, or kid yourself and give a number that falls within your acceptable range of alternatives.
A way to combine good boy, bad boy. with more authority is saying things like:
“Well, I’d love to make a deal with you on that basis, but my manager refuses to let me agree to terms of this nature without further consultation and refuses to speak to the sellers. Give me your best price and I’ll see what I can do.”
body language:
It is important in negotiation to react verbally and visually when offers are made. You may have seen the most theatrical negotiators duck their heads in despair or accuse you of being unfair and souring a perfectly good relationship when you present your proposal. Human nature is such that we can believe and accept these outbursts against us and, as a result, our bargaining position is weakened.
Be sure to react to the other party’s offer the next time you are in a negotiation. If you don’t show any reaction, they may be tempted to ask for more and more and you will lose the initiative in the negotiation. Also, your opening offer is almost certainly higher than the figure they are willing to pay for, so it is important that you clearly state your unwillingness to accept the opening position.
If you get to the point below which you won’t go, it’s important to show it with your body language. Newsreaders, when they have finished reading the news, are in the habit of picking up their script and putting their papers in order. This tells the world that they have finished their task and are preparing to leave.
Similarly, when you make your final offer, it can be very powerful to get your paperwork together and indicate with your body that it really is your final offer. Put your pen away, sit in your chair and be quiet. Show concern and keep quiet.
If your voice says final offer but your body says let’s keep talking, the other party will ignore what you say and continue negotiating.
The use of silence:
During the negotiation, you may make a proposal and find that the other party remains silent. This can be very difficult to handle and often signals disapproval for the inexperienced negotiator. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so silence induces in people the need to speak.
If you have a proposal to make, make it and ask the other party how they feel about it. Having asked the question, sit back and wait for the answer. Do what you do; do not change your offer as this could seriously weaken your position.
the vice:
A common technique used by negotiators when presented with a proposal is to say:
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
The most powerful way to deal with this is to ask them to be more specific. Whatever you do, don’t weaken your bargaining position in response to vice by giving something away too easily. This will only encourage repetition of the behavior.
The power of legitimacy:
People believe what they see in writing. We all assume that if something is printed or written, it is non-negotiable. This is what can make price lists so powerful. If you have to present a customer with a price increase or want to encourage a pre-order to beat a price increase, show something in writing, such as a note from your boss’s office announcing the increase. This will have a much bigger impact than just saying your prices are about to go up.
When presented with a price tag in a store, ask to speak to the manager and make him an offer. You might be surprised at the results.
And finally: the low key approach:
Don’t appear overzealous during negotiations. Over-enthusiasm can encourage savvy negotiators to revise their strategy and demand more.
If you are in a negotiation and the other party does not respond to your proposal, recognize that this could be a tactic and avoid making concessions just to cheer them up. Sellers like to be liked and will often give away money in a negotiation if the other party seems disgruntled.
For example, if you are buying a car, avoid telling the seller things like:
“This is exactly what I’m looking for. I really like alloy wheels”.
Develop a low-key approach. Say things like:
“Well, it may not be exactly what I’m looking for, but I might be interested if the price is right”.
Copyright © 2008 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved
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