When it comes to gathering information about the other party, every day is different. Don’t assume that you can begin any negotiation without special preparation, no matter how well you know the person. When a seasoned purchasing agent sees a regular salesperson, the purchasing agent often opens the conversation by saying, “What’s going on with you these days?” Pleasantry or preparation?
A neighbor who’s about to ask you to stop parking in front of her house begins by saying, “Hi. How is the family doing today?” Pleasantry or preparation? After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, even the least skilled negotiator first asked how the person on the other side had fared in the storm. No one pressed for resolution of matters until housing and offices returned to some normalcy.
Even if such questions have been a pleasantry for you in the past, start making them part of your preparation and treating the person according to the answer. I have actually put off a negotiation if the person sounded stressed out or confessed to being under a deadline. It’s good manners. It’s good negotiating.
A neighbor who’s about to ask you to stop parking in front of her house begins by saying, “Hi. How is the family doing today?” Pleasantry or preparation? After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, even the least skilled negotiator first asked how the person on the other side had fared in the storm. No one pressed for resolution of matters until housing and offices returned to some normalcy.
Even if such questions have been a pleasantry for you in the past, start making them part of your preparation and treating the person according to the answer. I have actually put off a negotiation if the person sounded stressed out or confessed to being under a deadline. It’s good manners. It’s good negotiating.
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