Pausing Under Pressure

              Some negotiators use pressure to get what they want from you. They may impose an artificial deadline, use emotional “hurry up” language, or ask intimidating questions, such as “Don’t you trust me?” or “What else could you possibly need to know?” Don’t give in to these pressures. Tell whoever is bullying you into reaching a decision that if you’re not allowed to use your pause button; you are not going to negotiate with him at all. Sometimes the pause button is your only defense against being pressured into making a decision based on someone else’s deadline.

            Decisions made under artificial pressures – especially time pressures imposed by the other side in a negotiation – are often flawed, simply because the decision maker does not have sufficient time to consult that most personal of counselors, the inner voice or your “gut”. Listen to your gut instinct. It will never fail you. Always stay in a place of personal power and never let someone pressure you into a bad deal. The pause button will be a valuable tool to accomplish this goal.

  

Happy Negotiating,

  

Michael

The Power of Determining Your Walk

In this week’s Tip of the Week we provided tools and tips on how to walk away from a bad deal (If you are not a current subscriber to our newsletter, please click on the join membership link on the fearlessnegotiating.com home page.).

 

Ideally, you want to have your Walk firmly established before you enter a negotiation. Additionally, it will be beneficial to create options that you can exercise if you cannot create a mutually beneficial agreement. This is how you walk into a negotiation from a place of power.

 

Of course, you want to walk into a negotiation with a positive attitude and expectation of an optimal outcome. It is just like purchasing fire insurance. You don’t want your house to catch on fire and you are not going to wish for it to happen, but the fire insurance provides peace of mind.

 

Take your time when preparing your Walk. This has to be determined by you, and you need to consider what your options will be if the deal is not to your liking. Having other options will make it easier to walk away with power and dignity.

 

We look forward to hearing about your success using the Wish Want Walk method of negotiating. Feel free to post your comments, success stories or questions.

 

Happy Negotiating,

 

Michael

Controlling Your Emotions

Some negotiations are easier than others. Negotiating the purchase price for a brand new car is very different than negotiating a divorce settlement or visitation rights for your children. It is important to check in with yourself to make sure that your emotions are not jeopardizing the negotiation.

 

It is normal and natural to have strong emotions come up to the surface when your negotiation involves something that is very important to you. Don’t beat yourself up; just know when to hit the pause button. Don’t be afraid to take a break when the tension is high. It doesn’t need to be very dramatic; it can be as simple as saying “I think I need a breather, and I am going to step outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air” or simply excuse yourself to use the restroom.

 

This sounds very simple, but it can make the difference between a deal that works out in your favor or not reaching an agreement at all. Also, if you know in advance that there is a possibility that you are going to walk into a negotiation that may become very tense with high emotions, be sure to get plenty of rest the night before and think of the strategies you will use to keep yourself on an even keel and level headed in your negotiation.

 

Again, emotions are natural and normal especially in important negotiations, but you have to be prepared and know how you will take care of yourself, so that you will maintain a powerful position throughout your negotiation.

 

Happy Negotiating,

Michael

Discovering Underlying Interests

A few weeks ago, we sent our subscribers a tip of the week that focused on mapping the opposition. I discussed how important it is to know who you are negotiating with, by learning more about their character, family life, job history, etc.

 

Another component to this method is discovering underlying interests. In all negotiations there are obvious interests and there are underlying interests. For example when purchasing a car, it is obvious that the salesperson would like to make a commission, but some of the underlying interests that may influence the sale is pleasing the boss, fear of not making the monthly sales quota, or a desire to move from Sales Person to Sales Manager. Discovering the interests behind the interests, can tip the scale in your favor and help you get what you really want. You can gather this information pretty easily by getting to know the person.

 

It is also important to discover your underlying interest. When determining your Wish Want Walk, take the time to identify what you really want out of the negotiation; do you need to get the car at a certain price because of financial constraints or is it important for you to have your car fully loaded with all available accessories and options within a certain price.

 

As I have mentioned many times in Fearless Negotiating, preparation is key in successful negotiations and taking the time to discover the underlying interests of the opposition as well as understanding your own underlying interests is very important. It can make the difference of making a great deal or a deal that you can live with.

 

I love hearing your success stories using the Wish Want Walk method, and I encourage you to post your comments, questions and negotiation stories in the blog. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Happy Negotiating,

 

Michael