Agree

It seems so obvious, but so many unskilled negotiators forget to confirm what is agreed. In the intensity of the bargaining process it is easy to forget what has actually been agreed. The objective of every negotiation is to reach agreement.

Remember, agreement does not just refer to the final conclusive signing of the deal. There are many points of agreement along the way. Both are important. At every point, wherever and whenever you can agree it is important to make the positive point of confirming that agreement.

Make a virtue of every point agreed. Take a bit of time and write it down. Let them know that is what you are doing and let them see you do it. Read it back to confirm it, and sound pleased. For both parties, en-route agreement is a positive feeling, in an intense environment.

When you reach what appears to be final agreement, summarise your understanding of the situation and write it down. Sometimes you can say, 'I will get this typed up this afternoon; however, I have the key points written out here. Can we photocopy these and initial them before I leave?' If they say 'Yes', which is the normal response at this point, we have absolute clarity and agreement on the terms. If they hesitate, we can clear up any misunderstanding and ensure we reach agreement before we leave.

One of my clients selling computers had secured what he thought was an agreed deal with a major bank: an initial delivery worth in the region of £100k. The order form had been made up in the name of my client and had been verbally agreed by the bank, with the paperwork promised. My client represented two major PC manufacturers - international household names - and in good faith told the unsuccessful supplier that the deal was going to their competitor unless they could do something better.

The salesman went on holiday. When he came back the PC manufacturer had gone in with slightly used models and had secured the deal unethically. Agreement should have been more firm; he thought he had the deal. In reality it was not as clear-cut as he imagined it to be. He should have made certain that agreement was unequivocally in place.



How to Negotiate Effectively
How to Negotiate Effectively (Creating Success)
ISBN: 0749448202
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 111
Authors: David Oliver

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