Negotiation

A collection of 53 posts

Ethics

The Intentional Mistake

Another aggressive negotiation tactic or dirty trick that is played more often than you think is the intentional mistake. Usually it comes in the form of a proposal which has an error in your favor; it is a deliberate trick to get you to agree now. Examples could include a pricing error, the sales t

Negotiation

Ridiculous Offers

Ridiculous offers are made in a negotiation to create concessions or to get a negotiation started, yet they can sometimes stall or end the negotiation with one or more parties walking away angry. This is an aggressive negotiation tactic.

Negotiation

Be Sure to Wear Your Game Face

When negotiating, it best to wear your “game face”. People look at your face when negotiating to understand how you feel about things; make sure that your face tells the right story.

Negotiation

Take it or Leave it

Maybe the most aggressive tactic for a negotiator to take is to say “take it or leave it”; this stance is cocky, unequivocal, and mean. Aggressive negotiators use this tactic because weaker negotiators give in and it works. Yet, many times it is just a bluff. This tactic sends a strong signal that t

Negotiation

Cherry Picking: An Aggressive Negotiation Tactic

You submitted your proposal to your customer two weeks ago and reluctantly presented it with line-item detail like the bid required; you also submitted a package price. Finally, you sit down with the grim-faced buyer, who pronounces the pricing too high by citing lower line-item prices from the comp

Ethics

Call Me on My Cell Phone

Cell phone usage has radically changed over the past five years. It was not that long ago that corporate usage of cell phones was considered a luxury and their usage was closely scrutinized for cost reasons since it was so expensive. It is an understatement to say that cell phone usage today is ubiq

Email Marketing

More on E-mail

My recent blogs regarding e-mail and selling created quite a stir with my readers. Apparently, e-mail is a very thorny issue for many sales people. Sales people are increasing forced to sell through e-mails; customers seem to hide behind their PCs. Writing effective e-mails is hard work and there is

Negotiation

Emotion and Negotiation

Emotion in negotiation is a very common thing. Yet, many negotiation authorities suggest that being emotional is a sign of a weakness or is the behavior of an unsophisticated negotiator; some say that emotions must be repressed. While it is possible to manage your emotions, it can be nearly impossib

Email Marketing

More on E-mail and Negotiation

As a follow up to my diatribe on e-mail communication and in response to the many questions about e-mail practices specific to negotiation, I dug a little deeper. Here is what I found out.

Negotiation

Managing Customer Conflicts

Interpersonal conflict happens. It can happen with new customers, with prospective customers, or with major accounts. From time to time in a customer/supplier relationship, disagreements can happen over quality, failure to meet commitments, or interpersonal dynamics. When problems like this happen y

Email Marketing

Think Twice Before You Send That E-mail

When communicating with a customer, which is the best method or channel of communication: face-to-face, phone, or e-mail?

Negotiation

Not Everyone Plays Fair

Not everyone plays fair. You learned this as a child on the playground and I bet that you are still learning that some people will do most anything to get what they want. This includes lying by omission, misrepresenting facts, and manipulation.

Negotiation

Negotiation Begins With You

Negotiating makes many people uncomfortable, so they avoid it or just don’t do it. By taking this stance, they only hurt themselves by letting others take advantage of them. By not negotiating, they don't get what they want or deserve.

Negotiation

Beware of Open-ended Questions

When the other party asks you an open-ended question, beware that he or she may be fishing for information to use against you in a negotiation. Often the question seems innocent; the other party is smiling at you with eyebrows raised. Be sure to look for this body language, since it can be a signal

Negotiation

Let's Play Good Cop/Bad Cop

A very common and very effective negotiating tactic is called “Good Cop/Bad Cop”. This tactic involves two or more negotiators who work as a team. The good cop seems sympathetic to your interests and tends to be a good listener; additionally, the good cop tends to provide information and often tries

Negotiation

Silence and Negotiation

One of the most powerful tools in a negotiator’s toolbox is silence: absolute, blank-faced, quiet. It can be used when confronted with a tough situation, when given news that is too good to be true, or when you just don’t want to say anything stupid.

Negotiation

Time to Fish or Cut Bait

Not all negotiations end with a happy agreement. Sometimes the gap is too great for the two parties to meet without one of the parties making a very significant sacrifice.

Negotiation

One More Thing

A very cool negotiating technique that is easy and has proven to be very successful is what I call “one more thing”. Let’s say that you have been negotiating an agreement, have made a few concessions, and are ready to finalize the agreement. In the back of your mind

Negotiation

Brainstorm Options Before You Negotiate

A common mistake is to go into a negotiation thinking that there is only one acceptable outcome: what you want. One of the best things you can do to prepare for a negotiation is to think about all the possible options that may exist for you and the other side.

Negotiation

Negotiate Like an Egyptian

My blogs on doing business with other cultures have generated many positive comments and it was suggested that I take a look at the Middle East. For starters, here is a look at doing business in Egypt.

Negotiation

Anchoring with Multiple Equal Offers

Recently I wrote about “anchoring” which is the first offer made in a negotiation. Someone has to start the process and sometimes that means you. The first anchor is frequently called the “opening anchor”. Generally, it is price, but it can be quality, delivery date, or quantity.

Negotiation

Anchors Away

When negotiating, it is legend that he or she who speaks first loses (or wins less). While I agree that “silence is golden”, you will often be required to make an offer to get the negotiation started.

Negotiation

Women Hate Negotiation

I recently read “Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide”, a book written by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever that explored the subject of women and negotiation. I was frankly shocked by the findings in this book.

Negotiation

Negotiation Japanese Style

The Japanese are world class negotiators and do business very differently than their American counterparts.

Negotiation

Doing Business in China

As the world gets smaller, it is increasingly important to understand Chinese culture and business practices. For many entrepreneurs, sources of supply are frequently found in China, while others might look to China as a market for products.