Negotiations
Everything is timing in Negotiations. A negotiation may be made or unmade by the time it takes place. There is a “too soon” and a “too late” in every situation. Whenever possible, we must plan strategically and use the timing of the negotiation to our advantage. There is a better time to buy as well as a better time to sell in almost every case. And when our timing is right, we will always get a better deal. The more urgent the need, the less effective the negotiator will be either when buying or selling.
If we are in a hurry to close a deal, our ability to negotiate well on our own behalf diminishes dramatically. If the other person is eager to make the deal, they are functioning under a disadvantage that we may use to our advantage. For example, every business should have sales targets for each month, quarter, and for the year. Therefore when we are buying, we will almost always get the best deal if we wait until the end of the month when the pressure is on for the business to hit their targets.
The individual who allows themselves, to be rushed will usually get the worst end of the bargain. Rushing or using time pressure is a common tactic in negotiation, and we must be alert to other people trying to use this tactic on us. People will often tell us that we have to make up your mind quickly or it will be too late. Whenever we hear this, we should take a deep breath and patiently ask questions to find out just how urgent the situation really is. If someone insists that they need an immediate decision, we may reply by saying, “If you must have an answer right now, then the answer is no. But if I may take some time to think about it, the answer may be different.”
You resolve 80 percent of the vital issues of any negotiation in the last 20 percent of the time allocated for the negotiation. Probably because of the prevalence of Parkinson’s Law, which says, “Work expands to fill the time allotted for it,” most of the key issues in a negotiation get jammed into the final phase of the discussions. Up to this part of the negotiation, there seems to be a natural human tendency to procrastinate on the resolution of the most important issues. What this means for us is that we must be patient in a negotiation. We must be prepared for the key issues to be resolved at the last minute. And sometimes we need to walk away.
With regard to timing, whenever possible, we should delay making an important decision. At the very least, do not allow the other person to rush us into a decision by suggesting that if we do not act now, it will be too late. Whenever the item under negotiation involves a great deal of money, a long life of a product, or long duration of the decision, or it is the first time that we negotiated in this area, buy time for yourself. Take at least twenty-four hours, if not an entire weekend, to think over our decision before acting. Use time as a weapon to strengthen your position and to improve your ability to make better decisions.
“Remember, Success is always Within Reach”
#terry ogburn #entrepreneur #Business #Business Development #Business Sales #business coach #business coaching
If we are in a hurry to close a deal, our ability to negotiate well on our own behalf diminishes dramatically. If the other person is eager to make the deal, they are functioning under a disadvantage that we may use to our advantage. For example, every business should have sales targets for each month, quarter, and for the year. Therefore when we are buying, we will almost always get the best deal if we wait until the end of the month when the pressure is on for the business to hit their targets.
The individual who allows themselves, to be rushed will usually get the worst end of the bargain. Rushing or using time pressure is a common tactic in negotiation, and we must be alert to other people trying to use this tactic on us. People will often tell us that we have to make up your mind quickly or it will be too late. Whenever we hear this, we should take a deep breath and patiently ask questions to find out just how urgent the situation really is. If someone insists that they need an immediate decision, we may reply by saying, “If you must have an answer right now, then the answer is no. But if I may take some time to think about it, the answer may be different.”
You resolve 80 percent of the vital issues of any negotiation in the last 20 percent of the time allocated for the negotiation. Probably because of the prevalence of Parkinson’s Law, which says, “Work expands to fill the time allotted for it,” most of the key issues in a negotiation get jammed into the final phase of the discussions. Up to this part of the negotiation, there seems to be a natural human tendency to procrastinate on the resolution of the most important issues. What this means for us is that we must be patient in a negotiation. We must be prepared for the key issues to be resolved at the last minute. And sometimes we need to walk away.
With regard to timing, whenever possible, we should delay making an important decision. At the very least, do not allow the other person to rush us into a decision by suggesting that if we do not act now, it will be too late. Whenever the item under negotiation involves a great deal of money, a long life of a product, or long duration of the decision, or it is the first time that we negotiated in this area, buy time for yourself. Take at least twenty-four hours, if not an entire weekend, to think over our decision before acting. Use time as a weapon to strengthen your position and to improve your ability to make better decisions.
“Remember, Success is always Within Reach”
#terry ogburn #entrepreneur #Business #Business Development #Business Sales #business coach #business coaching