Up Front


The idea with bringing up a deal breaker early on is usually simple: If you can’t get that delivery date, there’s no sense talking about anything else. Someone can promise you a million dollars to design their Web site, but if it has to literally be done yesterday, you’re just wasting your time talking about it. The usual approach here will be something along the lines of: “Well, let’s talk about that deadline, because that’s really important to me.”

Investing time in the most difficult problem up front tends to make the rest of the process smoother, assuming you can work out the issue. Getting a resolution sets the basis for a final deal, and since you’ve already discussed your most important point or points, by definition you’ve achieved your goal.

But there are pitfalls to be aware of. One is tactical: If you’ve shot your wad on this issue, you may have very little left to give as the negotiating process turns to other matters. And the give and take on a difficult item can sometimes fray nerves rather than build rapport and a cooperative spirit.

Let’s look at a negotiation over a bathroom remodeling job. I’m the homeowner, and I want the bathroom overhauled before my prospective mother-in-law comes for a visit next week. You’re the contractor, and after a thorough examination you realize the job is going to take five days. I tell you up front it has to be done right away. You say, “Well, I can do that, but it means that I’ll have to reschedule my other jobs and take on another helper.” Are you willing to accept that in your price?

If I want to get the marriage off on the right foot, I’m stuck, and I’ve let the contractor know it. By focusing on my needs—my demand—the contractor can add other terms as well: “I can do it quickly, but I need to be able to start at 6 a.m., which means I need coffee for the crew and doughnuts and . . .” You get the general idea. Now I still have a Plan B, of course, but my up-front need has shaped the negotiation and the eventual deal.




Negotiate and Win. Proven Strategies from the NYPD's Top Hostage Negotiator
Negotiate and Win: Proven Strategies from the NYPDs Top Hostage Negotiator
ISBN: 0071737774
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 180

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