Deal Making Skills...

Hi, Dien,

I dug out "Negotiation Through Training" , copyright by Sandra Bowman. These are excerpts from the article I had published on one of my sites several years ago. It is difficult, because of the necessity of understanding what goes before, to cut into the middle of it and draw things out so they make sense to folks but for you I tried.

* Always go for a win-win position. Some negotiators fake it but it's not recommended and can backfire.

* Operate from a position of strength or don't waste your time or theirs.

* Each party to a negotiation effectively 'trains' the others how to negotiate with them by what they will and won't tolerate or agree to. If you allow them to bully and threaten you and still get your business, you have trained them to use this method with you. The reverse is also true.

* Respect protocol and time lines...both yours and theirs.

* Come to the table with a full agenda of:
l. Must haves (non-negotiable essentials)
2. If possibles (highly desireables)
3. Bargaining chips (to be used for point advantage as in give-to-get).

* Never 'lay all your cards on the table'. It tells them you're an amateur and don't understand the process.

* Never put your final offer as your first offer. You will be at a distinct disadvantage from the outset and will end up making concessions you can't afford or the negotiations will fail ultimately.

Some sharp negotiators will make a big display of 'laying the cards on the table' in an attempt to rush you into believing that their terms aren't really negotiable 'we've already cut the offer to the bone'. This is often accompanied by an air of impatience. Inexperienced folks often fall for it and expose their minimal settlement terms. Sharpie then uses your NON-negotiables as the 'starting point' for negotiations! It's a trap for the unwary.

How to respond? Offer to pospone the negotiations if they're pressed for time. Almost invariably they'll back down and begin negotiating in earnest. You have, with that response, trained them to negotiate properly and leave the games and posturing to the amateurs. You have informed them that you are wise to the usual negotiating tricks, required that they treat you wtih respect, and gained a good psychological advantage ultimately.

* Understand the process and set achievable goals for a win-win outcome.

Hope this helps, Dien. It's far from the entire scenario but hope it's enough to let you get a taste of the process.

Sandi Bowman