Learning Negotiation From Youngsters: Choosing The Best Strategy For Your Purchasing Negotiations.
Have you ever tried to negotiate with a 2 year old?
Were you surprised with their negotiation skills?
Well, my son is now almost 2 and half years old and has now learnt that he has a will - a seriously strong will at that. Typical of children at this stage, he is far more interested in getting what he wants than with complying with his mother or father's wishes.
It seems to me that as children we tend to be assertive rather than accommodating in our interaction with others. We are only interested in satisfying our own needs and wants rather than accommodating the needs and wants of those around us.
It is only as we age that we learn the world does not in fact revolve around us and that we have to fit into the world in a responsible and positive way. We learn that we can not only do as we wish but also have to think about the rights, feelings and desires of others.
This made me think about the 5 basic negotiation approaches and how you can deploy them to support the achievement of your negotiation objectives.
1.Competitive negotiation
This is a mode of negotiation that is primarily assertive and concerned only with your own needs, desires and targets.
2.Accommodating negotiation
This is a style of negotiation that is predominantly concerned only with the needs, wants and targets of your counterparts whilst ignoring your own needs. Sales training seminars often advocate this negotiation strategy as the most appropriate strategy.
3.Compromising negotiation
Probably the most famous of all negotiation strategies. This is a mode of negotiation where you meet your counterpart in the middle. You get some of your needs, wants and objectives met and you reciprocate for your counterpart.
4.Collaborative negotiation
This is a way of negotiation where you seek to satisfy all of the needs, wants and objectives of your counterpart and they do the same for you.
5.Avoiding negotiation
This is a mode of interaction where you do not regard negotiation as the best way to reach your objectives.
The important factors which will determine which of the above strategies should be in your negotiations is to respond to the following 3 questions:
a.What is the Importance of an ongoing relationship to you?
If the relationship is critical, then you will not be able to be only assertive, you will have to at least compromise with your counterpart. If you do not address the desires of your counterparts, then it is unlikely that a meaningful relationship will develop.
b.How many options are available to you?
If you have many alternatives at your disposal, you can afford to be more competitive. Conversely, if you have no alternatives, then you will be forced to be more accommodating.
c.How much time is at your disposal?
If you have a lot of time available, then you can certainly be more competitive. The less time available to you, the more accommodating you will have to be.
As you can see, it is important to ask yourself these 3 questions before you start negotiating so that you can select the approach best suited to the situation at hand rather than just following a negotiation strategy based only on your preference.
It is also important to remember that you should be flexible in your approach. You may want to change your approach as new information becomes available during your negotiations.