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2. Aim high: Your initial offer should example, if you need to find a new job this feature be so important to
focus on your target terms, not urgently, you may accept a position you?” This will help you clarify your
your walk-away. at lower pay than you deserve, or preparatory assumptions about the
y Sellers should ask for more than compromise on the benefits. other person’s interests and concerns.
they expect to settle on. Buyers
should offer less than they are 5. Take responsibility for your 7. Take the other party from
prepared to pay. emotions and recognise the other “no” to “yes”.
y Justification is critical. Express a party’s emotions. y Embrace “no” as a tactic. As author
rationale for your position. y Negotiators who manage their Christopher Voss says, “Almost all
y Set specific, challenging goals to emotions are able to attain and retain of us are hard-wired to want to hear
consistently achieve better objective more control. ‘yes’ from the other side.” We should
outcomes. For example: “My aim is to y Cultivate self-awareness of your get rid of this limiting habit. (See the
renew at 10% higher than our current emotional triggers so you can avoid chart “Embracing NO as a Tactic”.)
rate, and I have the justification for being riled by something the other y Being pushed for a “yes” makes
it”, rather than “I’ll try and get the best party does. people defensive. A “yes” signifies
possible rate”. y If you do get triggered, deploy tools commitment, which can create
y At the same time, learn how to protect such as taking a break, breathing anxiety and stymie decision-making.
yourself against “anchoring” by the deeply, or walking away to manage y People feel safer and protected saying
other party when they present an your emotions. “no” instead of “yes”.
extreme first offer. y Set an ultimatum only when you y Flip your question in such a way that
really mean it, because ultimatums when they say “no”, it gives you the
3. Plan your concession strategy. are like hand grenades — once you “yes” you want.
Trade concessions, don’t just pull the pin, there’s no reversing y Though “yes” is the final goal of a
give them. without detonating your credibility. negotiation, don’t aim for it at
y Unilateral concessions are Learn how to defuse counterparty the start.
self-defeating. ultimatums. y Resist the temptation to immediately
y Trade concessions based on the fact y “Build them a golden bridge”, go into convincing mode for a “yes”,
that things have different values to as Chinese general and military when you hear a “no” for your request
different people. Always tie a string: strategist Sun Tzu advised. Make it from your counterpart.
“I’ll do this if you do that.” Use the easier for your counterparty to back y Aim for information, not agreement.
“If … then …” framework. down and help them save face. Ask questions to find out why the
y People need to feel that they have other side is rejecting your request.
“earned” concessions even when you 6. Verify your assumptions. y Tailor your counterargument to the
are willing to give them away. Don’t implicitly trust or fall in reasons behind the “no”. If the reason
y Identify your negotiable variables in love with them. is a problem — for example, payment
advance. These are items that cost y Stay open to possibilities. If you tell terms — then focus on a plan to solve
little to concede but are valuable to yourself that the other party will it. If the reason is a feeling — for
the other side, such as a cash-rich never agree to what you’re asking, example, “I’m worried everyone will
company securing a discount for you run the risk of falling prey to your ask for this” — then listen to uncover
early payment to a cash-strapped biases and being a prisoner to your the fears and focus on assuaging
vendor. assumptions. them. If you launch into
y Be mindful as you approach the end y During the negotiation, ask convincing mode without full
of the negotiation. Most concessions open-ended questions like, “Tell me information, you may focus on the
are made under pressure of deadlines more about that …” or “Why would wrong argument.
when negotiation time starts to
run out.
Embracing NO as a tactic
Embracing NO as a tactic
4. Don’t over-focus on pressures, Flip your questions:
Ask NO-oriented questions
vulnerabilities, and deadlines. to head off the anxiety of YES
y Ask instead, “What are the pressures Don’t deny the negatives,
my counterpart faces?” Your just identify and address them Do you have a
negotiation power derives in part few minutes to Is now a bad
time to talk?
from the pressures on the other party. I realise you feel talk?
y Be a detective and look beyond the I want to clarify I that I am pushing
am not pushing
you around,
other party’s expressed position to you around don’t you?
uncover their underlying interests; Can you focus Have you given
otherwise, a lot of value will be left on on this up on this
the table. project? project?
y If you over-focus on your timelines, Adapted from Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss,
you are likely to give up too much. For copyright 2016 by Harper Business.

30 I FM MAGAZINE I June 2022