How do you keep in control of negotiations has been an age old problem since the time of the Romans. Many times the negotiations start out with you in control, and rapidly spiral out of control allowing your opponent to gain control and eventually claim victory in the negotiations.
So here is the million dollar question, how do you prevent this from happening? Good question, I’m glad you asked! Let’s say your in the heat of negotiations and suddenly you feel the scales of power tipping in favor of your opponent – what do you do?
Do you sit back, let it happen and chalk this one up in the lose column? Do you become argumentative and get up and leave? Or do you take what you can get, and walk away with the notion that something is better than nothing?
Absolutely not! You employ a tactic known as a side bar : definition: a discussion between the judge and attorneys at the bench off the record and outside the hearing of the jurors or spectators, often focusing on issues other then the main issue.
So this is what you do. You have 2 choices, you can ask a question or start addressing an issue that is off the main point in order to regain control, and once you feel your back in control of the negotiations you can revisit the main point(s) of the negotiations.
If there is a single issue you’re negotiating, ask for a break to use the restroom, or to make a phone call, or even to retrieve something from your vehicle! The purpose of this tactic is to break your opponent’s rhythm, stop their forward progression, throw their game off and cause them, when reengaged to revert back to their submissive position in the negotiations. Contrary to popular belief, not all negotiations are a “win – win” situation; the mark of a great negotiator is always striving to be on the win side of the equation.
To your success,
James A. Gage
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