Effective Negotiating - There Really Is A Strategy

by Sean Foster | July 29, 2022 | Newsletter

How To Recognize the Negotiating Styles 

As I write this, it seems that this rain will never stop. Hopefully, the sun is shining by the time this is in your inbox. So as I pondered the usual question: “what should I write about that would add the most benefit to you”,  I realised it had to be - “what should you be doing now while this incessant rain is falling!”

Well, the fact is, the rain is just an excuse and an opportune time to be doing what you should be doing regularly. This is taking stock (of where you and your business are), and sharpening your axe.

Recently in this NewsBrief series and BIG, we have been focusing on Sales and Marketing. This subject is never finished, but I cannot go on ad nauseum, so it’s time for the other missing link in the Sales and Marketing basket - Negotiation.

Some years ago the head of the Industrial Engineering Department of Yale University said:

“If I had only one hour to solve a problem, I would spend up to two-thirds of that hour in attempting to define what the problem is.”

Well, that’s what we are going to do here. Rather than taking up the challenge of this NewsBrief being ‘the light’ of turning you into a negotiating superstar, it will instead focus on identifying your and the others' negotiating style. 

This is like defining the problem. Unless you recognize these styles, unless you become in-the-moment mindful of these styles, you will be severely handicapped in knowing how to respond to them in the most effective way.

I have created a simple cheat sheet to explain the 5 primary negotiating styles: you can download it here.

After reading through the 5 styles, ask yourself what is your main style? When you think of some recent negotiations that you have been party to, what styles were used on you? 

And before you start placing these styles into boxes of Good or Bad, a word of caution. These are all genuine styles and their good, or badness is only relevant to the situation. Use the right style in the right moment. But …

Yes, there is always a but 🙂 There is a favoured style that you should always try to facilitate towards, which is it?