One Simple Negotiation Skills Method That Will Immediately Produce Improved Negotiation Results
There is one simple negotiation skills technique that can be by anyone to immediately and positively influence their negotiation results. This technique is to always (yes always) exaggerate your expectations at the negotiation table.
Henry Kissinger, the well-known American Secretary of State stated: Effectiveness at the conference table depends upon overstating one's demands, a famous quote referred to in both negotiation training and sales training courses. There are quite a lot of grounds why it is important for you to start with high aspirations when you engage in negotiations:
1. Research has confirmed that high objectives will constantly outdo low aspirations. Many refer to the fact that if you want to hit the moon, you should aim for the stars. You will be astonished by the value of something so uncomplicated. Many of my clients are very happy when they understand that they can accomplish much more from their deals by simply asking for more!
2. Having high aspirations will permit you to 'anchor' the deal around your objectives. It is far better 'anchoring' negotiations around your aspirational level rather than your minimum acceptable rate. Having high aspirations express self-assurance and acts to underline the quality of your proposals.
3. Perhaps most critically, having high aspirations will allow you the room to be flexible in your negotiations. Research tells us that almost everybody compare their achievements at the negotiation table with their opportunity to gain allowances from the other side. The reality is that your counterparty will have no incentive to be flexible or to make allowances to you if you are not prepared and able to grant allowances to them.
Therefore, if you do not allow yourself some 'room to move' then you risk coming across to the other side as somebody who is stubborn and unwilling to make concessions. Please note that I am NOT proposing that you start your negotiations with elaborate and unworkable demands. Your opening offer should reflect a level that is realistic and that you are able to rationalise using a good, factual argument. It can be high risk using extreme demands and offers as your counterpart may well decide not to deal with you at all.
Some time ago I worked with a large multi-national business who used a tactic of 'the price we ask for is the only price we sell at'. As they are a well recognised and old company in America, most of their clients have come to know them as the type of organization that has a conservative method to business and have learned to live with this approach. However, when using this method in Poland, the company realised that they were being seen as being uncompromising by their counterparts because they would never budge on their prices.
In Polish business culture this method was not acceptable and they found it very difficult to conclude agreements in the Polish market place. The simple remedy was for them to ask for a little more than their regular prices so that they could permit clients the chance to negotiate with them and to gain some allowances from them. This approach proved to be very successful for them.
Of course, bear in mind that 9 out of 10 times your counterparty's first offer will be an ambitious goal, not their minimum expected outcome. This means that you should never accept any first offer that is made - you must always negotiate!
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