Negotiating Tip 14: What You Don’t Know

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

It is with an amazing regularity that people jump to conclusions that are far from accurate. Perhaps the most dangerous arena for doing this is during negotiations. Perhaps it is the age-old choice of whether our default position is positive thinking or negative thinking.

The evidence is overwhelming; most negotiators gravitate toward negative thoughts.

To convert this negative trend into actionable strategies, consider the well-known fact that virtually all participants in a negotiation have a hidden agenda. We enter bargaining knowing that we have motivations, pressure points and flexibilities. Obviously, our opponent brings those same traits.

Why then do we tend to go negative and assume that our pressures and motivations work to our negotiating disadvantage and also assume that our opponent isn’t similarly affected?

When we negotiate thinking that our opponent doesn’t want the deal as badly as we do and think that they are not under pressure to make concessions we surrender momentum, attitude and strength.

Be assured of this, your negotiating opponent ALWAYS has a hidden agenda and, whether you know it or not, that agenda will greatly influence the final outcome. Taking more time to probe, ask questions, investigate options and seek signs of their motivation is crucial.

Don’t go negative and surrender your negotiating power by assuming you are the only one under pressure. What you don’t know, you can assume. Be confident in assuming that your opponent wants an agreement as badly, if not more, as you do. They try to conceal it but you know it’s there.

What good negotiators don’t know they assume will work to their advantage. It’s the only way to go as we KEEP Negotiating.