A Psycho, or a Maniac?

A psycho is someone who is certifiably insane. They’re mentally unbalanced and belong under a doctor’s care.

But a maniac is a little different. A maniac is someone who may act a little crazy, a little out of control, but falls within the general parameters of mental stability. She may do crazy things, but she’ll ace the Rorschach test every time.

Maniacs negotiate all the time. They generally announce their style by making outrageous demands and doing things to break up the negotiating flow. Demands, even outrageous ones, are not a problem; we’ll get into dealing with them in more detail in the next chapter.

If you’re dealing with people who act like maniacs, the most important thing to remember is that it’s part of a strategy. It’s not a particularly effective one, since at best it’s wasting time and at worst it’s pissing you off. But it’s a strategy, and not a comment on your goal.

Probably not theirs either. Ask them what they really want, what’s important to them in the negotiations. Counter with your actual points. If they’re still acting out—to use shrink lingo—a short time-out may be in order.

What you don’t want to do is play maniac back. It may be fun, it may even feel good, but it usually doesn’t help you get back to your goal.