Karrass

Face-Saving

Asian cultures are said to be more concerned about face-saving than Western cultures. I'm convinced that Westerners are just as concerned about saving face. Perhaps our concern is deeply hidden, but it's there. Face-saving is one of the big hidden issues ... Read >

Seller's Viewpoint of The Bogey

Last month I illustrated how a buyer, or someone negotiating for resources, might utilize a Bogey. This month, I explore how a salesperson, or someone selling an idea or concept, can create their own Bogey â€" or respond to a Bogey used by a skilled buyer... Read >

You Need Time To Think

f you are going to make the most of the negotiation skills you learned at my Effective Negotiating Seminar, and maximize your opportunities to craft truly creative, both-win agreements, build some thinking time into your negotiations. Never go into a n... Read >

How Much Do You Negotiate?

Many people don't realize how much they actually negotiate. In reality, negotiations are intertwined into many of our daily activities. Sure, many of you who have been to my ... Read >

A Value Creation Message

Both-Win negotiating is a value creation process. I find that opportunities to create more Both-Win negotiations increase dramatically with just a little pre-planning. Mr. James Sauerwein, one of our senior seminar leaders, recently shared this announc... Read >

The Negotiating Tactic Of Yelling And Screaming

Some people get their way by deliberately yelling and screaming. It's a negotiating tactic. These screamers know from experience that other people find this negotiating tactic uncomfortable. Most people find it difficult to cope with a screamer. This i... Read >

Satisfaction and Future Dissatisfaction

Many years ago, the Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn gave an interview to the Western press protesting the treatment of those in Russia who did not agree with Soviet internal policy. What he said about the human spirit is relevant to your negotiatio... Read >

Posing Questions Without Hostility

A negotiation cannot be conducted without questioning the other person's presentation. You must probe into that person's facts and assumptions. During negotiation, I have found that some of the following phrases help reduce tension when a position is q... Read >

Time-Outs

In the USA we just held our annual "Super-Bowl" football game. If time-outs are so critical to a football coach, they ought to be even more important during a negotiation. The stakes are far higher! When and how a time-out, or caucus, is called can ... Read >

Scrambled Eggs: How To Defend Against Disorder

It is wiser to simplify matters than to confuse them. "Scrambled eggs" does the opposite. Scrambling is a negotiation technique, it deliberately mixes things up for tactical reasons. Scrambling can be used to forestall a deadlock, make the other person wo... Read >

Negotiating Via E-mail?

E-mail is a common component of today's negotiations. It is, quite simply, an efficient way to communicate. However, e-mail brings new dynamics to your negotiation. Here's what the research has turned up. E-mail negotiations: * appear to take longe... Read >

Assess Your Negotiating Profile

Negotiation is one of the most difficult jobs a person can do. It requires a combination of diverse traits and skills. The process of negotiating demands not only good business judgment but also a keen understanding of human nature. I know of no other are... Read >

Non-negotiable Positions

Nonnegotiable positions are an inevitable part of business negotiations. You will find yourself on both sides of them. Nonnegotiable positions are inherently neither good or bad. However, when a person encounters a nonnegotiable stand for the first time, ... Read >

Agreements - Understandings - Procedures

A procedure is a way of doing something. An understanding is an expression of mutual viewpoint and attitude on an issue. An agreement is a conclusive commitment to mutually acceptable terms. You're probably wondering what difference all this makes. Aft... Read >

What Is Something Worth?

There is a world of difference between what something is worth and what it costs. Things that cost little to produce can carry high price tags, and vice versa. Cost is subordinate to worth from a negotiating standpoint. Worth analysis can shed more li... Read >