John, the majority owner of hotel Dixie in West palm, offered to sell the hotel to its manager, Ajit, at its book value. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ajit. He quickly lined up an investor. Since hiring Ajit three years ago, the hotel performance had zoomed from forty percent to full occupancy. Ajit, however, […]
I intended to write the next issue of “Negotiating with difficult people.” However, I am compelled to respond to a question raised by several readers of my newsletter. Question: How do I deal with a person who is known for being a stubborn haggler? If I adopt a collaborative approach and be cordial, my opponent will […]
Workplace or life, in general, is full of negotiating opportunities – be it with your supervisor, coworker, customer, spouse, or peddler in Egyptian bazaar! Sometimes you may end up dealing with some problematic people. Here are the five steps for coping with a combative opponent. 1. Take an adjournment: Go out for some fresh air. […]
Pay careful attention to your opponent and look for signals. Recognize that not all of her needs may be readily evident. These are usually unstated needs. A homeowner who will not cooperate with a real estate agent to help sell her house may turn out to have deep-seated uncertainty about selling. Realizing that, you might […]
When your boss makes an inconsiderate request, you need to speak up and say no respectfully. You want your client’s procurement head to know that you value his business, also while you ask him to stop demeaning you for the excellent business relationship. How do you let your opponent save face and view the outcome […]
Challenging people may drag you into a circular argument where they are attacking and defending, arguing and persuading, not listening and interrupting, and scoring points with sarcasm. They can also be unpredictable. Sometimes they may give you a silent treatment. Do not get dragged into trading insults. You can win an argument, but you cannot […]
It is late afternoon on Friday before the Labor Day weekend. Stacy is wrapping up at work, getting ready to drive to Hershey, PA, for some family fun. Just as she is about to leave, her supervisor hands her an RFP (request for proposal). “Hey, Stacy, please complete this so that customer can review first […]
Understand the environment What kind of situation are you dealing with? Does it promote collaborative behavior or adversarial conduct? It is not always that the other side is poor negotiators. Other factors could influence their stance. In general, long-term relationships, voluntary relationships, private informal setting, emotionally detached from the deal and absence of irritants will […]