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Tactic #47 - Stalling for Concessions
Summary: Delaying a negotiation or decision
to encourage the inpatient counterpart to make a better offer.
Salespeople are typically short on patience when
they smell a deal in the air. In fact, sales trainers sometimes teach
that if you do not strike while the iron is hot, you might lose the
deal. But impatience may encourage a negotiator to make unnecessary
concessions. Knowing this, a savvy counterpart might stall for time,
trying to make the impatient negotiator nervous and more willing to make
trade-offs.
Example
A saleswoman prepares a proposal for a customer
and, over the next few days, calls two or three times to ask what the
customer thinks of the proposal. The customer never calls back because
he is stalling, hoping the saleswoman will be willing to make some
concessions if she feels he isn’t particularly interested in making a
deal. Worried that the customer might be doing business with a
competitor, the saleswoman gets nervous. Although she is not sure if the
customer has even had time to review any of her proposals, the
saleswoman leaves a message that her “numbers are ballpark, based on the
information given, and there is room to negotiate.”
Counter
You should never discount a price before your
counterpart tells you there is a need to do so. The best counter in this
situation would probably be for the saleswoman to wait patiently for a
reply. Or she could write a letter to the customer, stating, “I have
tried to get in contact with you several times over the last week, and
for whatever reason, we have been unable to connect.” Under no
circumstances should she leave any more phone messages.
When a counterpart is obviously stalling, be patient. Don’t keep using
the same tactic to make contact. Think like a dolphin and do something
different.
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 3 Questioning Skills, Part I
To view previous Negotiating Tactics of the Week,
follow this link:
Negotiating
Tactics of the Week
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