Negotiation Tactics Flashcards
Contrast effect
Start with unattractive options to the counterpart before presenting your actual offer to build the contrast.
People’s perceived Plan B may be altered by a series of unattractive options presented by the counterpart.
Framing effect
Frame your preferred option as gains relative to a reference point and your undesirable option as losses.
People are risk-averse for gains and risk-seeking when it come to losses
Time pressure
Put more time pressure on your counterpart if you detect time may deteriorate his or her Plan B.
Mere exposure
Instead of having a single-shot negotiation, suggest several meetings and phone calls, both formally and informally.
The more people are exposed to something – a person, object, or idea – the more they come to like it.
Physical presence
Sit or stay physically close to your counterpart during the meetings and breaks.
People form both personal and business relationships to others
who are literally physically close to them.
Reciprocity
Bring unexpected gifts, invite your counterpart to coffee
or lunch, make concessions with very little importance to
you.
People feel obligated to return in kind what others have offered or given to them.
Flattery
Pay your counterpart compliments.
People like those who appreciate them and admire them, even if
ulterior motives are suspected.
Similarity
Explore similarities with your counterpart.
Delayed liking
Do not like your counterpart immediately, but show growing liking over time.
In terms of gaining compliance from the other party, it is far more effective to grow to like the other party.
Err is human
Show your counterpart that you are human and have your own foibles and faults.
People are naturally suspicious of smooth-talking and attractive
negotiators.
Social proof
Target the most agreeable person at the table first and persuade the hard-liner later.
Reactance technique
Paraphrase your counterpart’s position in a way that makes it sound more extreme than it actually is and wait for your counterpart to loosen it.
Foot-in-the-door
Ask your counterpart to agree to a small statement, and then confront him or her with a larger one.
Door-in-the-face
Start with an offer that is way more extreme than your intended one, then – after the rejection – make a smaller one.
That’s-not-all
Instead of offering the full package intended, reserve some part of the package as free add-on to present later – in order to sweeten the deal.
Aggression
Take the initiative, from arriving early for meetings to calling counterparts at home to discuss business.
People taking initiative tend to control the time and place of
discussions.
Intimidating
Use believable threat to win concessions while you are prepared to defend yourself when the counterpart responds in kind.
Forthrightness
Declare own honesty before saying anything using “in all honesty …” or “to be frank with you…”
The appearance of telling the truth may provoke the feeling of truth.
Delay
Delay negotiations by postponements, shifts of venue,
complicated meetings, etc. to put time pressure or wait for better PlanB.
Distraction
Argue vigorously for things with little meaning to you and concede them in the end in order to trade for more important issues.
It is sometimes hard to separate what’s important to a negotiator
(needs) from what’s merely desirable (wants).
Linguistic
Use language as all-purpose excuse when deceptive tactics are uncovered when dealing with international
counterparts.
Jargon
Use jargons to subordinate counterparts who wish to position themselves as equals.
People may get intimidated by jargons.
Change of location
Change location to disconcert conterpart.
Indebtedness
Make your counterpart feel as if they are in your debt on several possible levels, e.g., by paying the bills or
befriending the counterpart.
