Instruction In Negotiation From Youngsters: Choosing The Right Approach For Your Purchasing Negotiations.
Have you ever tried to reason with 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 suddenly discovered that he has a will - a very strong will at that. Typical of children at this stage, he is far more concerned with getting what he wants than with complying with his mother or father's instructions.
It appears to me that as children we tend to be assertive rather than accommodating in our interaction with others. We are only interested in meeting our own needs and wants rather than accommodating the needs and wants of others 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 society in a responsible and positive way. We learn that we can not only do as we wish but also have to consider 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 goals.
1.Competitive negotiation
This is a mode of negotiation that is predominantly assertive and focused on your own needs, wants and targets.
2.Accommodating negotiation
This is a style of negotiation that is predominantly concerned only with the needs, desires and objectives of your counterparts whilst ignoring your own needs. Sales training courses often advocate this negotiation strategy as the most suitable strategy.
3.Compromising negotiation
Probably the most universally known of all negotiation strategies. This is a way of negotiation where you meet your counterpart halfway. You get some of your needs, wants and objectives met and you do the same for your counterpart.
4.Collaborative negotiation
This is a way of negotiation where you attempt to meet all of the needs, desires and targets of your counterpart and they do the same for you.
5.Avoiding negotiation
This is a way of interaction where you do not regard negotiation as the best method to attain your targets.
The key factors which will determine which of the above approaches should be in your negotiations is to respond to the following three questions:
a.What is the Importance of an ongoing relationship to you?
If the relationship is important, then you will not be able to be only competitive, you will have to at least compromise with your counterpart. If you do not meet the desires of your counterparts, then it is not likely that a meaningful relationship will develop.
b.How many options are available to you?
If you have a host of alternatives available, you can afford to be more competitive. On the other hand, if you have only one option, then you will be forced to be more accommodating.
c.How much time do you have available?
If you have a lot of time available, then you can certainly be more competitive. The less time you have, 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 pick the approach best suited to the situation at hand rather than just following a negotiation strategy solely based on your preference.
It is also important to remember that you should be flexible in your approach. You may want to amend your strategy as new information becomes available during your negotiations.