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Negotiate Your Way To Wealth And Personal Success ...
More Negotiating Skills ...
A clever negotiator is not always the strongest. The following suggestion may improve your chances of a “win”.
- Avoid the hard-bitten image. If you show a willingness to fight then the other party will probably fight back.
- It is good not to catch on too quickly. Ask them to restate their position. This upsets the smooth flow of argument. Say that you got lost halfway through their clever reasoning.
- Let them do the talking. The more they say the more of their hand they reveal. This gives their position a wider spread and any flaws will show.
- Unless, from your side, things are urgent, try to delay. If the opposition can become a little impatient they are more likely to make quick concessions to close the deal.
- Use an ultimatum as your final position. But make it soft, not hard. Say something like “I understand your position but I just cannot see how I can go any lower.”
- Often a double choice is better than a take-it-or-leave-it offer. If you come up with two final proposals they are left with a choice. Whichever seems the best choice for them is likely to win. As a single this-or-nothing choice they would probably have tried to negotiate the same alternative further.
- If you think it may help, back yourself with a budget statement or other account forms. The printed word that shows your limits is often more easily accepted than saying the same thing verbally (even though it comes from the same source).
If the other party has invested too much time to back out, you are in the best position. So save ultimatums.
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