Don’t assume people know what they want or need. Be prepared to educate them if you sense this is the case.
Ask yourself:
- Why might it be in the other party’s interests to support my idea?
- What do other parties want that I can give them to gain support?
- Why might they say no?
Vanity often helps close a lot of sales.
The most powerful standards aren’t the ones that you like the most or the ones that most people agree with. They are the ones the other side genuinely believes are fair and legitimate!
When you find the other party pushing back heavily, you have likely impinged upon a conflicting interest. Find out what it is!
Whichever party thinks it has the least to lose from no deal has the most leverage, and vice versa.
You gain leverage whenever you make the other party more dependent on you.
Always ask: What do you control that the other person needs? What can you withhold that they will miss? These are ways to increase leverage.
When there is an ongoing relationship, BATNA doesn’t work that well. People cannot just “walk away” from an employment because someone is stubborn.
Generally, the less you know about the range of appropriate solutions, the better it is to let the other party make the first offer.
Chatting with lower level staff in a person’s division can get you quite a bit of information.