Story provided via Under 30 CEO –

Negotiation styles have been researched and discussed a lot in the recent period. Countless courses dedicated to the importance of collaboration in negotiations have been held, but even skilled negotiators may sometimes find themselves sitting in front of their counterparts, not knowing how to deal with someone who is not interested in coming up with a win-win solution, but only in manipulating and defeating them. Luckily for you, this type of headache – causing problems can be avoided by following efficient tips.

Shock effect

Regardless of how much you’ve struggled to show the value of the product that you sell, customers may turn to the shock effect whenever you tell them the price. If you happen to be in this situation, you should by no means make unnecessary concessions, regardless of how much you wish to reach an agreement. Instead, you should try to point out all the benefits that the product will bring. Some people are afraid of telling their clients that the price of the product indicates its quality, but the truth is that the affirmation is right. After all, everybody gets what they pay for.

Ongoing discount

Your counterpart may sometimes try to make you compromise by pointing out that they’re willing to sign the contract as long as you solve a certain issue. You should never let yourself tricked by this scheme, because once you solve that issue they will come up with others. Once you start playing this game, chances are you will end up making more compromises that you’ve planned.

Boss knows best

Negotiators may sometimes do their best to convince their counterparts, only to eventually figure out that the individuals involved in the negotiation cannot make decisions on their own. They’re usually sent to negotiate and acquire as many discounts as possible, but they cannot decide whether they will buy your product or not. If you want to avoid this type of situation, you should simply make sure that the person with whom you negotiate is authorized to make a decision. If they’re not, you should do your best to talk with the CEO who supervises the selling.

Fake deadline

Avoid making a decision if you see that your customer pressures you without having a good reason. Most people who use this strategy try to make you accept an unfair deal, by threatening that they will soon turn their attention to another company. The greatest challenge with which negotiators have to deal is that of negotiating with impatient customers.

Delays

Regardless of how well the negotiation ends, you may notice that your customer tries to deliberately postpone making a decision. Bear in mind that there are several clever customers who are aware of the fact that you have already spent some money on the sales process, and they will use this fact as a method to talk you into making additional concessions.

Suddenly cold

You may have noticed that some clients seem very willing to close the deal, but they eventually act as if they lost their interest. This technique is also used by employers when they want to hire somebody. They let the candidate struggle for the position, they repeat that they’re willing to hire him, but the truth is that they cannot afford to pay the salary that he wants. This technique eventually helps them accomplish their goal, as the employee usually ends up making compromises.

Wrongful summary

Your counterparts may summarize the terms you have agreed on by misrepresenting several parts of the deal in their favor. However, you won’t discover the discrepancies unless you listen carefully to their summary. Your duty is to take notes and make sure that every single word included in the summary describes exactly what you have agreed upon.

New player

You may sometime notice that the person you have negotiated with has been replaced. Even though the new person should be aware of previous agreements, there are cases in which new negotiators force you to take everything from scratch. If you happen to be in this situation, asking another negotiator to take your part is definitely a good idea, as discussing the same issues over and over again can be quite annoying.

The best way of making sure that all parties agree upon a win-win solution is by trying not to take anything personal. Many negotiators use dirty tactics, but this doesn’t mean that they have something personal with you.

The article is authored by Davis Miller. He is a skillful freelance writer interested in writing on small businesses and technology. He also has a site thegappartnership.com.hk. They develop negotiation skills to change behavior and achieve measurable results through training workshops.