I did it professionally for 30 years, but we all do it everyday. It can be as simple as, “What restaurant do we want to go to tonight?” or “Where shall we vacation this year?” Or it could be a more dreaded interaction like buying a car. It’s called negotiation, a word that some people fear doing or even thinking about. Many think that’s it’s not in their nature to haggle although some relish the idea. Like it or not, it’s something we need to do everyday.
Fortunately, the simple one’s are easier to mutually conclude. “I have a taste for Thai, how about you?” or “I’d like to go to Europe this year. What do you think?” Simple give-and-take won’t cause your stomach to bunch into knots unless your counterpart is obnoxious. The simple ones usually end with all parties being heard and satisfied at the conclusion reached. That being said, if your party includes children who only want Mickey D’s or only want to go to Disneyworld, good luck with that!
The skillful use of emotion during more difficult negotiations has always appealed to me as a way to make a major impact in the results. Not a shoe-banging type of emotion, but a way to make the other party empathize with the feeling. As an example, here are some ways to skillfully use emotion to counter any logical argument from the other side:
Using an appropriate tone of voice and corresponding body language would very likely shift the other party to respond more from the personal side. Control of the negotiation would very likely flow to your side to now ask again for that concession you are seeking.
One more nugget for you, we Americans are uncomfortable with silence. Use this technique when facing a difficult situation. It will rattle the other party.
Nothing in this world is guaranteed except you will negotiate sooner than later. The results are more in your favor when using this tips. Remember that we don’t get what we wish for. We get what we negotiate for.
Source: NAPM’s 84th Annual Conference for Supply Chain Managers.
Note: My apologies for the messy insert. It’s 20 years old so I wasn’t able to clean it up as I would have wanted to.
