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Tactic #75 - The Choice is Yours
Summary: Giving a counterpart several
acceptable alternatives to choose from.
You can use this tactic when you have several
alternatives that are acceptable to you. Salespeople are trained to use
this approach to gain a buyer’s commitment.
Example
A car buyer tells the salesman, “I am willing to
buy your new Honda Accord for $23,000 at 9 percent interest. However, if
you want me to pay 11 percent, you will have to throw in the paint
sealant, upgraded stereo, and floor mats. Either way. The Choice Is
Yours.”
Counter
The salesman has lots of options here, including:
(1) saying “no” to both deals and starting over; (2) making a
counteroffer to one deal or the other; (3) using Apparent Withdrawal;
(4) employing These Boots Are Made for Walking; or (5) making a
Trade-off Concession.
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.
Ask the
Negotiator
Dear
Peter,
I work for a national retailer that buys products from
internationally recognized manufacturers. One of the manufacturers I
buy from recently changed sales representatives. The new rep is a
rude, condescending jerk. Of course, the easiest thing to do would
be to tell him to get lost and not buy any more of this
manufacturer’s products. But the challenge is that we need these
products to complete our retail selection. What do you suggest?
Sincerely,
Ed
Dear Ed,
This question is a challenging one. Why? Because you have eliminated the
one choice we would all like to make--just buy from another
manufacturer. Life is really too short to work with jerks!
Are you sure that you really need this manufacturer? In retail, when you
have a difficult customer, you can almost always find an outstanding
competitor who is a pleasure to deal with. Would you be willing to take
the risk of withholding an order the next time this sales rep is a jerk?
If you are willing to utilize coercive power, you may create a situation
where he is willing to be more polite and respectful.
If you have a lot of confidence, there are a couple of other head-on
strategies you might try. First find out if your boss would be willing
to support you if you complain to either the sales rep or the sales
rep’s boss about the lack of respect you feel you are getting from this
individual. Negotiate with your boss first to preserve your job
security.
Once you have gotten your boss’s approval, you can go directly to the
sales rep. If you do not see increased respect after your talk, go over
his head and speak to his boss. When a person is this big of a jerk,
others at his own company probably know that he is a problem.
Remember, the side that is least committed to a relationship holds the
most power. You may think you need this manufacturer more than he needs
you, but has it occurred to you that sales to your company are probably
in the manufacturer’s projections for the upcoming year? You have more
power than you think.
Best regards,
Peter
Ask the
Negotiator - Are you involved in a
negotiation and not sure what strategies or tactics to use?
Send in your toughest negotiation
challenge and our team of expert negotiators will outline a specific
plan to ensure your success. Please send your negotiation
challenge to
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published, we'll send you our special edition Negotiation Mug,
filled with sweet treats.
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
6 Listening Skills Part II
To view previous Negotiating Tactics of the Week,
follow this link:
Negotiating Tactics of the Week
To forward this tactic to a friend or colleague
please click on the forward link below
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