Hello, savvy negotiators! 🌟 Welcome to an exciting 5-part series: "5 Things to Help You Stop Leaving Money on the Table." 🤝 If you've ever felt like you could've snagged a better deal, this series is your golden ticket to mastering the art of DealCraftTM.
Let's dive into Part 1: Audibles
Audibles make up the secret symphony of verbal and nonverbal utterances that can make or break your negotiations. 🗣️💡 Picture this: you're in a crucial negotiation, and just when things get intense, someone lets out a hearty chuckle or includes a tone that doesn't match the words they speak. Those are audibles in action!
Audibles are the backstage passes to understanding your negotiation counterparty's true feelings and intentions. They are the telltale heartbeats of dealmaking. 💓 So, next time you're at the negotiation table, keep your ears peeled for these clues - a knowing smile, a slight nod, a subtle pause - they're all keys to unlocking better outcomes.
Be warned. Your counterparty can hear you as much as you can hear them. The key here: master your own audibles so they can't read you.
Always ask yourself: what did I hear? What could it mean?
Story
I worked with Ana at a hi-tech firm many years ago. We spent days preparing for a critical negotiation with a large enterprise client. This was going to be a career-making deal. Four hours into the negotiation, Ana took a break. During the time out of the room, she reviewed all the proposals the other side had made. It was clear that free support was important to them.
When Ana returned to the negotiating table, she delivered a proposal where she reclaimed ground she lost on price and conceded on free support. She immediately noticed one person across the table say, "oh" under his breath. The other person uttered a slightly delighted, "mmm." Then, they looked at each other and the speaker rejected her proposal.
What she heard, but they didn't say, was that they liked this proposal. Confidently, Ana held firm and that was the proposal the other side eventually agreed to.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll explore defenses and how they impact outcomes in negotiation. 🤗 Remember, individuals and teams tend to score more when they play offense instead of defense. Get ready to supercharge your negotiation game! 💪💰