The Japanese pay more attention to long-term relationships than do Western businesspeople. An important part of their decision to do business with someone is whether they will be able to work harmoniously with them in the future. The Japanese have formalized the practice of building harmonious long-term relationships into their business culture. When a transaction [...]
An interest or goal that you want but that you don't reveal to the other side, and in fact want to prevent the other side from learning.
Status and rank are important. Social power is not easily changed. Conflict is less frequent between members of different social ranks. Conflict is more likely to be handled in deference to a superior, rather than a direct confrontation and negotiation between social equals.
Start high with your demands to set the other side's expectations. Sellers often start high knowing they can reduce the price.
Negotiators are generally better off if they don't have full authority. There is greater negotiating strength in not having authority than in having it. Unfortunately, for many our egos get in the way. People like to demonstrate how much authority they have; it's a sense of pride. Negotiating this can diminish your effectiveness as a [...]
The issues or ideas that are known to cause a person consternation and likely to produce an emotional reaction.
A technique whereby one party poses a fictional situation that could exist but doesn"t, as a way to explore options or better understand the limits of someone's authority or willingness to offer concessions.
An argument where no agreement is possible. A deadlock. All progress is stopped.
In a multi-party negotiation, persuade one person at a time. Then use them as advocates to persuade the remaining people.
When attempts to solve a problem, or come to an agreement, have failed, it is often productive to set the work aside for a while to pursue other activities. Sometimes subconscious processes will help the participants come up with new ideas and solutions. Patience and thoughtful reflection are two powerful tools when negotiating.