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Negotiation Tactics

Negotiation Tactics

It could cost you if you’re not skilled in the art of negotiation. Whether with a customer, a boss, or an employee, the person on the other side of the negotiation table will always have a negotiating tactic or two up their sleeve to take advantage of your weaknesses.

This article will go through some tactics that people use that you should be aware of and how to handle them. We’ll also give some pointers on how to alter these tactics if they come up and how best to use them as part of your negotiations. According to Jordan Sudberg, people can use five different types of tactics to win a negotiation.

5 Effective Negotiation Tactics

1. Stop talking

People use this tactic when they feel they’ve stated their position and are no longer willing to budge. They may let their body language show that more discussion will be futile. It can often be used as a time-waster for the opposing party to consider their position or for the other party to become impatient and alter their offer on a whim. To deal with this tactic, you need to make sure your side is serious about getting a resolution and that you stay on track.

2. Give unrelated reasons

This tactic is all about pressuring the other party by making them feel guilty or like they have no other choice but what has been presented. It is done via a series of almost rhetorical questions after the other person has stated their position. It can often be used as a time-waster for the opposing party to consider their position or for the other party to become impatient and alter their offer on a whim. To deal with this tactic, you need to make sure your side is serious about getting a resolution and that you stay on track.

3. Take advantage of control

It is one of the most common negotiation tactics people use and one of the hardest to deal with. The idea behind this tactic is that the other party is using a position of power to manipulate and take advantage of you. They’re using authority controls to make sure you don’t have a say in the negotiation. It can often be used as a time-waster for the opposing party to consider their position or for the other party to become impatient and alter their offer on a whim. To deal with this tactic, you need to make sure your side is serious about getting a resolution and that you stay on track.

4. Play dumb

This one’s self-explanatory, if not in its stated intent rather than in its effect. The goal of this tactic is to make the other party think that you are stupid and not worth negotiating with, so they will alter their demands based on your ability. It can often be used as a time-waster for the opposing party to consider their position or for the other party to become impatient and alter their offer on a whim. To deal with this tactic, you need to make sure your side is serious about getting a resolution and that you stay on track.

5. Walk away from the table

This one’s pretty obvious, if not in its stated intent, then in its effect. It’s using the threat of leaving or refusing to continue negotiations to get the other party to stop negotiating or change their negotiation tactics. It can often be used as a time-waster for the opposing party to consider their position or for the other party to become impatient and alter their offer on a whim. To deal with this tactic, you need to make sure your side is serious about getting a resolution and that you stay on track.

Jordan Sudberg, in “Negotiation Tactics,” says, “During a negotiation, people are motivated by their emotions. Knowing the other side’s emotions can help you alter your tactics and keep this from escalating into a confrontation.”