Negotiation

Negotiation

1. Dirty Tricks

   • The red herring tactic
     • Negotiators sometimes add extra issues they don’t care about to the pot.
       • to do
         • Simultaneously present her with multiple offers that you consider to be equivalent.
         • Her choice should reveal which issue she cares about most and allow talks to proceed in a more open
   • Authority ploys
     • A salesman insists he doesn’t have the authority to make a deal and then pays a visit to the sales manager to secure approval
       • to do
         • Before talks begin, suggest to your counterpart that you both secure a negotiating mandate from anyone who may need to sign off on the deal
         • Don’t sign anything before your lawyers look it over
   • The good guy / bad guy routine
     • This tactic preys on our tendency to like people who agree with us and who seem similar to us
       • to do
         • You might say in this situation. “I’m used to negotiating in a more straightforward manner. Can we try to work together more collaboratively?”

2. Types of Deception

   • Lies about bottom lines and alternatives.
     • Avoid being had by researching the other side’s claims and reputation
     • “Too good to be true"
       • Insist on seeing the fine print.
       • Escalation of commitment
         • “sunk costs” are gone forever—and that there’s no shame in walking away from a shady deal
         • Lack of reciprocity
           • If a counterpart fails to match your concessions or only pays lip service to the process of exchanging offers and commitments, don’t negotiate
           • Last-minute nibbling
             • Hun the request unless the nibbler agrees to a matching concession

3. Defusing unethical tactics

   • Be wary of “transactions.”
   • Seek out relationships.
   • Pursue your doubts
   • Don’t sink to their level