Nothing to do with my hair, LOL
Do you know your negotiations start before the actual negotiation?
They start through Pre-conditioning.
Pre-conditioning is a powerful negotiation tool used by skilled negotiators to set the stage for the main negotiation and control the lens through which the other party views and approaches the negotiation.
This is accomplished during prior discussions by making statements which are measured and targeted.
Statements like ‘hmmm, that is way off our budget….’, ‘we are also reviewing other options…’
Such statements pre-condition the other party, sending a subtle message that influences the other party’s opening position and general negotiation stance.
It is not always obvious, but these statements tend to make a significant difference in the way a negotiation plays out and in the final outcome.
I'll tell you a story about a recent pre-conditioning experience...
After several telephone discussions with a supplier, I received a formal offer, a quotation. I set up a meeting in my office to discuss further, possibly gain some reductions in the quoted price and close the deal.
The supplier arrives my office and is visibly impressed, ‘oh madam, this your office is very nice’.
‘thank you oga’ I reply while muttering under my breath ‘better give me my 20% discount. That was my target.
As we discussed, I watched as he began to set the stage for an increase in his previous offer, referencing several ‘exclusions’ to his earlier price quote.
We ended the meeting without closing the deal as he needed to consider the ‘exclusions’. Very well, we meet again.
Supplier then sends me an email with a revised scope (which was pretty much same scope with a lot more grammar!) and a price that was 3.5x higher than the initial quote!
So what changed? He had originally sized me up based on emails and phone calls in which I had done some pre-conditioning. On seeing my office though, he felt he had mis-sized me and could make much more profit.
My preconditioning however gave me a realistic indication of the price and you can imagine, I held on to that!
Well, after two more extensive discussions, we closed the deal with my 20% discount on the original offer and the full scope, no exclusions.
In your next negotiation meeting, pay attention to pre-negotiation discussions to decipher pre-conditioning statements that may be used on you.
Better still, try pre-conditioning the other party.
To learn more Negotiation Tactics, sign up for Mastering Negotiations, a free video course.
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