Peter Baron Stark: PBS Consulting - Everyone Negotiates

Peter Barron Stark
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The Master Negotiator

The Premiere Newsletter for Negotiators
The Master Negotiator is a monthly newsletter packed with tips, strategies, and tactics to ensure your success in virtually every negotiation. The Negotiating Tactic of the Week gives you an insider's look at hundreds of strategies and tactics. Make sure you know more than your counterpart! Simply enter your email address in the box provided to start your subscription.

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Peter Barron Stark
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Tactic #57 - The Ball Is in Your Court

Summary: Presenting a problem to a counterpart and challenging him to come up with creative options for a resolution.

This tactic is effective for encouraging your counterpart to come up with creative ways to achieve your goal. You present a challenge that your counterpart needs to help you overcome.

Example

An insurance company's office supply manager tells a vendor, "I really enjoy working with you and I think your equipment and service are exactly what we need. The problem is, we have a budget of only $150,000 and you have quoted nearly $165,000. What can you do to help us stay within the budget?"

Counter

There are at least four possible counters to this tactic: (1) The vendor could explain how his products and services are designed to improve the insurance company's long-term bottom line (e.g., by minimizing repairs or lengthening the time before a replacement is needed). (2) The vendor could use the Feel, Felt, and Found tactic, stating, "I understand you feel our price is a little high. Other customers have felt the same way at first but have found after a few years that our product and service are the best values on the market." (3) Appealing to a Higher Authority might also be effective. The vendor could ask, "Could you check with your manager to see if the budget can be revised?" (4) Last, the vendor could try the If . . .Then tactic: "If we substituted a one-year warranty for our usual three-year warranty, then we could come a lot closer to your budgeted number. Would that be of interest to you?" The If . . .Then tactic usually leads to further negotiation and increases the probability of a win-win outcome for both counterparts.

This tactic is one of 101 strategies and tactics featured in The Only Negotiating Guide You'll Ever Need, by Peter Stark and Jane Flaherty.

To view this month's issue of The Master Negotiator, the premiere on-line newsletter for negotiators, follow this link:

The Master Negotiator, Volume 2, Number 2 - Power

To view previous Negotiating Tactics of the Week, follow this link:

Negotiating Tactics of the Week