The idea of acceptance time is so simple that it is often overlooked in negotiations. Yet, when understood, it has the power to make each of us more effective at negotiating.
People need time to accept ideas that are new or different. Both parties walk into a negotiating session with somewhat unrealistic goals. They start with all kinds of misconceptions and assumptions. Being human, they hope against hope that their goals will, for a change, be easily met. The process of negotiating is usually a rude awaking. The low price hoped for by a buyer begins to look impossible. The easy sale that a seller longs for eludes him or her. The need for new production tools, engineering equipment, or software is confronted by an inflexible budget or competing demands for corporate resources.
Reality is resisted—resulting in deadlock or an unrealistic agreement that soon falls apart.
Can we expect a buyer, seller, engineer, or manager to adjust to new and undesired realities immediately? Of course not. Resistance to change is universal. It takes time to get used to ideas that are foreign or unpleasant. We can even get used to the reality of death given a long enough period to do so.
Acceptance time is as important in negotiation as it is in life. By giving the other party acceptance time, reinforcing your own ideas with more information, and being open to the new ideas of the other party, you stand a greater chance of reaching a better understanding and a longer lasting agreement.
Negotiating Via E-mail?
E-mail is a common component of today’s negotiations. It is, quite simply, an efficient way to communicate. However, e-mail brings new dynamics to your negotiation.
Assess Your Negotiating Profile
Negotiation is one of the most difficult jobs a person can do. It requires a combination of diverse traits and skills. The process of negotiating demands not only good business judgment but also a keen understanding of human nature. I know of no other area in business where the alchemy of power, persuasion, economics, motivation, and organizational pressure come together in so concentrated a fashion and so narrow a time frame. Nowhere is the return on investment potential so high!
Questions During a Negotiation
Negotiation is a process of discovery. Questions are raised and answers given, statements made and rebuttals offered. During a negotiation there often is great pressure placed on you to provide quick statements and sensible answers to hard questions.
