Are you starting out in the world of negotiating or already in it but want to do better? Find some incredible negotiation tricks to overwhelm your opposition in this snippet of an interview between Dale Beaumont and Wayne Berry.
In 1979, Wayne founded Wayne Berry Associates, a sales training company, which became one of Australia’s leading seminar promoters bringing some of the world’s most famous speakers to Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia, including James Rohn, Earl Nightingale, Dr Denis Waitley, Brian Tracy and many others.
What are some of the tricks clever negotiators use to overwhelm their opposition?
I don’t really like to use ‘tricks‘ because tricking somebody is not good for a long-term relationship. However we should be aware that some people will try to trick us. There are so many tactics – where should I start?
- Higher authority gambit – this is where the person defers to someone else and says that person makes the decision. This is often not true. The best defense against this tactic is to find out early what authority the person has and if they have no authority to make a decision, negotiate to get to the decision-maker.
- Bottom line gambit – this is where they have you invest a lot of time into discussions, then they say, ‘Look, thanks for your time but what you’ve suggested is not what we want’. Then they pause or pack up and seemingly as an afterthought say, ‘But to be fair to you, what is the lowest price you would have taken?’ or ‘What is the highest amount you would have been prepared to pay?’ You are very vulnerable at this point as you feel you’ve lost the deal, but now maybe there is a chance. People sometimes drop to their bottom line at this point. Don’t! Instead ask them are they sure it doesn’t meet their needs because if it doesn’t, then it’s pointless discussing price. Turn the table on them and ask, ‘What was the best offer they would have been prepared to make?’ In this way you will keep the discussion going.
- The ‘flinch’ and ‘vice’ – the flinch is where you act outraged at their offer – ‘How much?’ You gasp. ‘You have got to be joking!’ Then go silent. Often a concession will follow. Stay silent. They may make another concession. Silence is very powerful. Then if they have made a better offer, simply use the vice to put on the squeeze – ‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to do better than that!’ Follow this again with silence.
For more of this interview and negotiation tricks check out “Secrets of Top Sales Professionals Exposed!“
