(Some additional comments on negotiations cont. 8)
Some 'dos and don'ts' of Negotiating
. Do's
‐ do listen carefully to the other party
‐ do leave enough room to manoeuvre in your proposal
‐ do feel free to reject the first offer received
‐ do make conditional offers, such as " if you do this, we will do that"
‐ do probe the attitudes of the opposition " what would you feel if........."
‐ do be prepared to remain silent
. Don'ts
‐ don't make too many concessions at an early stage
‐ don't make your offer so extreme that you lose face if you have to back down
‐ don't ever say "never"
‐ don't answer questions directly with a simple yes or no
‐ don't make the opposition look foolish
‐ don't start speaking until you have something relevant to say
‐ don't use humour that could be interpreted as being too clever or smug
‐ don't start speaking until the others have finished
‐ don' t fall into the trap called "competitive arousal" ‐ it is an adrenaline‐fuelled emotional state that is aimed at beating an opponent at all costs rather than maximising value. This can occur when rivalry is most intense and/or when under time pressure
. After hearing the other party's proposal, summarise their proposal as you understand it. Use questions to seek clarification
. Practise your signal to a variety of tactics/ploys that are often used in negotiations, eg ignoring a ploy will neutralise the intended affect, personal attacks should be deflected with humour rather than anger, etc
. Remember: a ploy/tactic by the other party has 3 aims
‐ to distract your team, allowing the other side to dominate discussions
‐ to shift the emphasis of negotiation in order to shape the deal on terms that are purely to the benefit of the opposition
‐ to manipulate your team into closing negotiations before you are entirely satisfied with terms being offered
. Some tactics used are
‐ making threats
‐ offering insults
‐ bluffing
‐ using intimidation
‐ dividing and ruling
‐ using leading questions
‐ making emotional appeals
‐ testing the boundaries
. Never take things personally otherwise you will lose control of the situation. Concentrate on the issues
. Methods of closing a negotiation
‐ making concessions that are acceptable to all parties (proposing and accepting concessions that help to clinch the deal without jeopardising your position)
‐ splitting the difference between all parties (agreeing to all sides involved in the negotiations moving towards the middle ground in order to reach deal)
‐ giving one party a choice of 2 acceptable alternatives (encouraging the other party to move forward by offering them 2 different options from which to choose)
‐ introducing new incentives or sanctions (bring pressure to bear on the other party by introducing new incentives or sanctions)
‐ introducing new ideas or facts at a late stage (bring new ideas earlier to provide an incentive of new discussion that might lead to an agreement)
‐ suggesting an adjournment when a stalemate occurs (adjourning allows each side to consider what will happen if there is no agreement)
. When negotiations breakdown, immediate action is vital to prevent the situation becoming irretrievable. The longer a breakdown is left to fester, the harder it is to restore the negotiation
. Once the decision is agreed upon, then an action plan for implementation needs to be drawn up ASAP
(sources: James Sebenius, 2001; Mike Hanley, 2007b; David Lax et al, 2007; Martyn Newman, 2007)