Negotiation Skills Training Classes
With
over twenty-five years of proven industry experience, the
Negotiations
Training Institute of America is the recognized leader in negotiations
training, consulting and performance coaching. Through public open
enrollment classes and private on-session training sessions, we
have helped leading corporations, non-profit organizations and governmental
agencies improve their ability to
negotiate
better outcomes for their constituencies.
First-time
negotiators as well as those with the greatest
competitive
drive and amount of first-hand experience and
negotiations
wisdom can benefit from our time-tested classes. Whether focusing
on
negotiating
a contract with a vendor or jumping in to the often-stressful
car buying process to
deal
with a dealership, our classes provide useful skills, proven techniques
and various classroom role plays to help you
become
more aware of negotiations that you must face on a daily basis.
For more information on our negotiation skills training classes please
contact us.
Negotiations
Training
Time's
Running Out:
Neutralizing Tactics: Deadlines
Remember how
much "fun" you had in college trying to get a term paper
or an
important
assignment in before a professor's deadline? You could see that
day looming... even if it was two months away. At some point, you
knew you needed to get off your duff and work on that paper so that
you could pass the class and not face the wrath of your parents.
Those were fun times, weren't they?
Negotiations
are often the same. Just when we think we're cruising along, we're
faced with a
deadline
we didn't expect. Some deadlines are internally imposed - the
end of the quarter or a drop-dead date for a shipment. Others are
imposed by
outside
parties or
customers -
some legitimate, others designed to put you under the gun. Unfortunately,
it can at times be tough to
recognize
the difference between the two.
Larry: "I
really need one more week to review this deployment plan with our
CIO to make sure it is in line with what we had in mind."
Gary: "Well,
that's fine but I'm assigning the team to a project at the end of
this week. If I don't hear from you by Thursday, I'm going to put
them on another project."
Larry: "But
I thought they were already assigned to us?"
What is happening
here? Well, it could be that the
consulting
manager is tired of dealing with someone who
makes
slow decisions. On the other hand, he may not have any other
projects and wants to put the team in action before they get restless
and start looking for other opportunities. No matter the reason,
this tactic is designed to put pressure on the other party and
force
a decision. In many cases, deadlines are used dishonestly to
force a decision, to make a concession or to drop on a particular
position.
With this in
mind, remember that negotiation deadlines come in three flavors:
1. Artificial
- Imposing a contrived deadline to force the other party to make
a decision quickly. An example: a
used
car salesman claiming that another couple will be coming in
the next day to buy the car.
2. Practical -
Suggesting
a deadline to
ensure
availability, delivery, etc. This deadline may not be as firm
as a real deadline but, in a way, it is designed to protect both
parties. An example: Telling someone to book a plane ticket before
seats are sold out
3. Actual - These are real deadlines that often cannot be moved.
An example: A shipping company must have a delivery at a particular
dock by a certain date to go out on a freighter.
When faced with
a deadline, find out if it is truly an actual deadline, if it can
be moved or if it simply a tactic. As you will often find out, it
pays to be skeptical. Ask yourself or the other party the following
questions:
* Where did
the deadline originate? Was it set by the other party or by an
outside
entity?
* Is this deadline placing pressure on the other party?
* Can this deadline be moved or extended?
* What happens if a deadline is missed?
* Are there any
long-term
consequences to missing the deadline?
These questions
will help you get to the heart of the matter. Here are some possible
ways to handle deadlines:
Lonnie: "I
just have to get a copy of that report on my desk by 5:00 PM today
to finish my analysis."
Donnie: "I
know that the analysis needs this report to get wrapped up. Would
it be possible for me to have until noon tomorrow so that I can
incorporate
the data from our field offices on the west coast?"
Another possible
scenario...
Greta: "Our
new pricing structure goes into effect on Monday. I'd hate for a
delay to cause you to spend 15% more on the same exact product."
Dieter: "That
would be a problem for us. Is there any way you can get
your
management team to provide us an extension until our CFO is
back on Tuesday?"
For Negotiation
Skills Seminar information please
contact
us.
Related:
Negotiation Course
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