Strategies you can use to control your negotiations and increase your negotiation win rate.
What control do you attempt to exercise when negotiating? Negotiation Tip: Winning negotiators win more negotiations by determining what will be negotiated.
The beginning steps to winning any negotiation is determining what will be on the negotiation table. So, if you think there are issues that are deal breakers for you, ones in which under no circumstance you’d agree to, don’t allow your negotiation opponent to put those issues on the table. The way to prevent him from doing so is to agree on what you’ll discuss (negotiate) before sitting at the negotiation table. Whether you or he realizes it, you’re actually engaged in the negotiation process at that point. If he’s wise, he’ll attempt to keep you from having issues on the table that are deal breakers for him. At that point, agree to negotiate on issues that are agreeable to both of you. Make sure you use a red herring as a ploy (something you have that he wants that doesn’t cost you a lot to give, for something you can get that has greater value than what you give) to enhance your position.
Then, as you engage in the negotiation, try to discuss an issue that had not been planned, but one that will appear to be innocuous to him. To the degree that he negotiates on that issue, try another. The point is, if the negotiation is going good from his perspective, and he’s conceding on the points that advantage you, continue using this strategy until he puts the brakes on this tactic.
If your negotiation counterpart bulks at some point, ask why he’s doing so. Cite the fact that everything was going well and note his reaction. He’ll give insight into how he feels about the offer/counter offer that brought him to the point of impasse, which will give you insight into his mental thought process. At that point ask what he’d do in such a situation. What you’re really doing with that question is getting him to provide a solution to the situation. More than likely the solution will be in his favor. That’s okay. Tell him if he thinks the idea is so good, you’ll flip it (make it to your advantage) and take it. That will cause him consternation. When it does, ask him what he really thinks is fair. Again, he’s providing the solution. Stay in this cycle until he’s willing to accept an offer/counter offer that is beneficial to you. He can’t fault you for accepting a solution that he provided and thus the point should be agreeable to him.
When using this tactic, don’t attempt to negotiate by adding more items to the negotiation than what is called for and/or can benefit your position. Walk right up to the line of his indignation, but don’t cross it.
As you know, there’s a lot of give and take in a negotiation. To the degree you can give, to the satisfaction of the other negotiator’s needs, you can take everything that you want. Use the strategies above and he will willingly give you all that you want… and everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!
To discover more negotiation tips, along with how to read body language, strategies, and tactics that you can use to increase your financial resources, and other aspects of your life, please visit www.TheMasterNegotiator.com and sign up for the Free Negotiation Tips.
Greg Williams is known as, ‘The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert”. He’s the author of the highly acclaimed book titled, “Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More”, and numerous other continuing educational products related to negotiation tactic and strategies, reading body language, emotional intelligence, and micro expressions. Greg has been consulting, training, and speaking on the subject of negotiation and how reading body language in corporate, seminars and other environments worldwide, for the past 25+ years.
Photo courtesy of City of St. Pete [FLICKR]
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