How to use pace to your advantage
It’s up to you to set the pace of the negotiation.
Whoever controls the trading time is the one who controls the negotiation. He has every opportunity to dictate his tempo to his interlocutor, putting him under pressure. However, faced with a salesperson, it is the buyer who must take control of the watch.
You don’t like to rush things. You like to take your time and enjoy the process. Negotiation is like making music in a group, you have to improvise and adapt to the rhythm of your partners. But sometimes, you have to set the rhythm yourself. You have to make them play to your tune.
“Don’t forget to remind the salesperson of the time he has at the start of the interview. Limit the interview to 45 minutes, knowing that a classic negotiation lasts twice as long, and remind the salesperson of the time remaining after 30 and 40 minutes .”
Row Cayatte
This way, you put some pressure on them. You make them feel that they have to hurry up and make a deal with you. You make them think that they don’t have time to waste on haggling or arguing. You make them want to close the deal as soon as possible.
The negotiator with limited room for maneuver will have to go to the essentials while you can decide whether or not to extend the interview to deepen the points that interest you, nothing prevents you from extending the dialogue. You can say something like, “You know what, this is interesting. Let’s talk some more.” And then you can explore the points that interest you, and get more concessions from them.
The first concession: A key strategy to win any negotiation
Obtain the first concession
Negotiation is a game of chess in which each concession obtained is one step closer to final victory.
The start of negotiations is therefore decisive.
“You must obtain a concession before making one. This will condition the rest of the interview.”
Row Cayatte
The first concession is the most important one.
It sets the tone for the rest of the negotiation. It shows who has the upper hand. It shows who is willing to give in and who is not. That’s why you always try to get a concession from them before you give them anything.
No need for the advantage obtained to be very important, it can be the delivery time or the duration of a guarantee, the main thing is different: the person who gives in first puts himself in a weak position for the future.
It can be anything ; A discount, a gift, a favor. Anything that makes them feel that they owe you something.
Contrarily, it is better to finish by granting yourself a minor concession, to give the impression to your opponent that he is doing the best. Psychology is important in these kinds of discussions, don’t forget that. Don’t be too greedy.
You don’t want to push them too hard or make them feel humiliated. You want them to feel good about the deal too. So at the end, you always give them a small concession back. Something that doesn’t cost you much, but makes them happy. Something that makes them think that they got a good negotiation.
Tips for managing a long negotiation process
If the negotiation is a long negotiation (several days or weeks), it is important to stop from time to time and recap where you are.
Sometimes you have to stop and review what you have achieved so far, and what you still need to do. You should proceed with the other party. During this process, you also need to keep your emotions in check and make sure things are moving forward instead of going back and going over the same topics over and over again.
A written summary, every 3 or 4 meetings, summarizing the agreements reached so far, can be very useful for both parties.
If no one objects to the previous conclusions, the negotiation can go ahead. If, on the contrary, one of the parties refuses to accept a point, this summary makes it possible to resolve the problematic subjects as quickly as possible.
Negotiation is a long and complex game. Sometimes it takes months or years to reach an agreement. You have to deal with emotions and frustrations, and keep calm and focused. But if you play it right, you can get what you want and enjoy yourself along the way.
“A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.”
Franklin Jones
Happy CEO 