Focusing on the Negotiator’s Interests

When I talk about interests, I don’t mean things such as baseball (not that it’s a bad interest and can’t make a difference in a negotiating session once in a while). I’m talking about the person’s negotiating interests. You want to know what that person is interested in getting out of the negotiation. It’s almost always more than money. (If you’re buying a used car from an individual, money may be the only consideration, but that’s about the only time it is.) I can’t think of a negotiation of any importance that does not have issues other than money attached to it, and often these issues are more important than money, especially to the person across the table or to that person’s main client.

For example, if you find out that the negotiator had a bad experience with your company’s delivery, quality, or communication, you had better believe that these issues will be important in this negotiation, even though the person on the other side of the table may be reluctant to bring them up. You also need to be alert to the possibility that the interests of the person whom you’re negotiating with and the person whom he has to please are a bit different. The person you’re negotiating with may receive his bonus based on some cost-saving formula. His boss may be focused on timely delivery.

Be sure you find out all you can about the boss/client so you meet the needs of both the negotiator and his client