The Accidental Negotiator

Most negotiators know that when we are negotiating pricing with the other side, it is always in our best interest to be the first one to make a price offer.  

This serves to anchor the price and the negotiations can take off from  there. However, there is a variation on this practice that a lot of us  may not be aware of. 

It turns out that with a simple modification we can  create an even more attractive offer for the other side.

As negotiators we all know that there are many different ways to reach  an agreement with the other side of the table. 

We’d all like to be able  to use our negotiation styles and negotiating techniques come to a  negotiated agreement with them. However, failing that we always have a  court case that we can fall back on. However, that is an expensive and  messy way to accomplish things. 

What we’d all like to do is to find a better way to get to where we want to get to.

In the world of negotiations, one of the most important things that we  can do is to be clear. 

We want the other side to understand what we are  asking them for. We also want to make sure where we stand on the issues.  However, there will be times that despite the negotiation styles and  negotiating techniques that we are using, we run into issues in a  negotiation that we might not want to advertise to either the other side or to the world.  

In cases like this, back-channel negotiations can provide temporary  protection from deal spoilers and too much public scrutiny.

Let’s all face it: pressure is a part of the negotiating process.  

We wouldn’t know that we were in the middle of a negotiation if we  didn’t feel some pressure on us. The problem with this pressure is that it can cause us to make poor decisions.  Negotiators can feel pressured to use their negotiation styles and  negotiating techniques to wrap up a deal as quickly as possible. 

Speed  is often the enemy of a sound, lasting deal, but several safeguards can protect you the next time you negotiate in a high pressure situation.

I don’t know about you, but these days it seems as though more and more of the negotiations that I find myself involved in seem to come down to price.  

Yes, there may be a number of other items that are being discussed, but  we seem to move through those easily. However, when it comes to the final question of price,  that’s where things seem to just bog down. As negotiators we need to  understand that this is the way of the world. 

What we need are some ways  to go about dealing with price based negotiations.

Disagreements are a common part of every negotiation. 

Using their  negotiation styles and negotiating techniques both sides of the table  end up seeing things differently and because of that their progress  towards reaching an agreement can grind to a halt. When something like  this happen, one way to address it is to take the time to work with the other side in order to uncover  facts about what is being negotiated. The reason that both sides have  their opinions may be based on partial or incomplete information. 

By working together, it is possible that you may be able to get the negotiations back on track.

From a high level, the art of negotiating looks pretty easy: all you  have to do is to use your negotiation styles and negotiating techniques to get the other side to say “yes” to whatever you have proposed to them.  

As we all know, when you get closer to ground level, this negotiating  stuff can become quite difficult to do. However, our goal remains pretty  much the same: we want the other side to agree with the proposal that we have presented them with. 

Just exactly how can we go about making this happen?

From a high level, the art of negotiating looks pretty easy: all you  have to do is to use your negotiation styles and negotiating techniques to get the other side to say “yes” to whatever you have proposed to them.  

As we all know, when you get closer to ground level, this negotiating  stuff can become quite difficult to do. However, our goal remains pretty  much the same: we want the other side to agree with the proposal that we have presented them with. 

Just exactly how can we go about making this happen?

How many times have this happened to you? 

You are in a negotiation and  you’ve used all of your negotiation styles and negotiating techniques  and you have just about exhausted all of the offers that you can make to  the other side. The other side may have also made a number of offers,  none of which really appealed to you. What’s a negotiator do to now?  

The good news is that you still have at least one trick left up your sleeve: MESOs.

In order to be successful during your next negotiation, you are going to have to make sure that you use all of the negotiation styles and  negotiating techniques that are available to you. 

One of the most powerful tools that we all go into a negotiation with is our Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Knowing that you have one of these is a critical factor in being able  to be successful in your next negotiation. However, just knowing about  it is not enough. 

You also have to know how to use it during a negotiation.