Increasing Results Through
Effective Price Negotiations
Can Be Changed by Negotiation
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Increasing Results Through |
Prices Set by Negotiation Can Be Changed by Negotiation |
The 10 steps in how to influence others 1. Invest Time: Sit down with the other person where you won’t be disturbed. Be sensitive to the demands of his or her schedule. You may need to meet several times, depending on the issue. 2. Focus: Be an attentive, active listener. Don’t let your mind race ahead of what the other person is saying. Train yourself to focus all of your thinking and attention on the other person. It’s not only terribly flattering but will keep your focus on the issue at hand. 3. Ask Questions: Ask questions about the other person’s favorite subject: himself and his issues. . .his background, accomplishments, the biggest problems or challenges he has, what he or she thinks the future holds, etc. Write your questions out ahead of time and take notes, for you’ll need them later. 4. Reveal: You’re building a relationship, not interrogating a witness. Share brief, but not too personal, information about yourself. What you reveal should parallel what the other person revealed. 5. Ask for Opinions: Ask questions that start with what, where, when, how, who, and [judiciously] why, being careful not to raise defenses with why questions. Selectively ask, “How is that important to you?” 6. Listen Actively: Nod your head, use encouragers, Humm, Interesting, and Then what? Keep taking notes which will help you remember, and you both know you have a record. 7. Summarize: Paraphrase what the other person has said in three to five key points. Then ask if this is an accurate summary of what he said. Revise your summary until he confirms its accuracy. 8. Ask for Commitment: Now it’s your turn to persuade. Ask, “Would you be willing to discuss some ideas I have on this subject that might prove to be mutually beneficial?” If the other person doesn’t say, “Sure” at this point, you didn’t ask enough questions. Go back to Step 5 and ask more questions to discover the basis for the reluctance. 9. Present: Without challenging the other person’s ideas directly, present your ideas as alternatives. Relate your ideas to the other person’s self-interests. 10. Ask for Help: Ask for the other person’s “special help.” And if he or she says, “No,” look very disappointed . . . and don’t say a word. Let them fill the silence with a counter offer. And then, whatever the other person offers, ask for more. Finally, strike a bargain with the perceived advantage going to them. Practice the above ten steps on your friends and trusted colleagues until implementing the “Paradox of Influence” becomes second nature to you. You may not get everything you want, and not everyone will work with you. But once you master the “Paradox of Influence,” your ability to influence most people to your point of view will improve dramatically. |
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