Much of the materials with the tag bfa comes from the Bargaining for Advantage book.
It is imperative to ask yourself how achieving your objectives can help the other party. Then figure out why they may say “no” so you can address their issues.
Steps to knowing what the other side wants:
- Identify the decision maker.
- Look for common ground. If you get your way, how can it benefit the other?
- Once the step above is done, identify why the other party may say “No”.
- Look for low cost options that solve the other party’s problems while advancing your goals.
In stores, ask for discounts, even if you don’t threaten to leave. Say “I would be a really satisfied customer if … “
Be the one to lead with shared interests.
Find reasons they may say “No”. There may be obvious ones (e.g. bad price), but often it is things behind the surface, like self-esteem or status.
Find things the other party needs that are “cheap” for you to supply. If you do this, you may be able to ask for even more.
Never assume the other party is after the same as you are. It is a common mistake.
Skilled negotiators spend about 4 times more time trying to discern the other side than average negotiators.