In the Boardroom: Do Not Be Psychologically Manipulated When Negotiating

Do you become psychologically disadvantaged when negotiating? Are you aware that smart people do dumb things, because they’re psychologically manipulated when negotiating? Do you know how such psychological manipulation occurs and how to prevent it from happening to you? If you’d like to insulate yourself from ploys that can lead to psychological discourse in your negotiations, observe what follows.

The following five points are a few reasons why some people are roused when negotiating. Heed this insight to prevent psychological manipulations from being forced upon you.

1. Lack of negotiation strategy: Anytime anyone enters into a negotiation without a strategy as to how they’ll possibly achieve their goals, they enter the negotiation unprepared. Before entering into any negotiation, take the time to develop a strategy that can lead to achieving the goals of the negotiation.

2. Lack of discipline: Know your exit points in a negotiation, what should trigger those points, and don’t be manipulated by becoming emotionally tied to a position, or involved in the negotiation to the point that you can’t exit. You can be drawn deeper into a negotiation, due to your zeal to achieve the goals of the negotiation. Know when to stop and do so at the point you’ve set.

3. Time as a factor: Be aware of the pressures time places upon you in a negotiation. Always remember, the more time you invest in a negotiation, psychologically, the more you’ll become engaged and want to see the negotiation to its conclusion. You may be motivated psychologically to do so, even if it means you commit acts that are detrimental to your negotiation position.

4. Image: In a best-case scenario, you should desire to negotiate in an environment that’s conducive to your style and manner of negotiating, and one in which you can be viewed as influential. To the degree you’re viewed with reverence, you’ve already begun to create a subliminal impression from which you can be in command of the negotiation.

5. Combativeness: When engaged in a negotiation, some negotiators allow their egos to become inflated. In doing so, some fall into the trap of being manipulated by either thinking the only way to win is by defeating the other negotiator. Thus, they overlook possible situations in which compromise may lie. Such thoughts can be stimulated by the belief that they’re not viewed by the other negotiated with the deference they deserved. So, they adopt a, “I’ll show you” mentality. Always remember the cliché, “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day”. Don’t be caught by this psychological dilemma. By doing so, you’ll avoid the possibility of expediting your demise.

Several problems occur when people are mentally distracted and distressed in a negotiation. One, they lose their ability to be rational and two, they risk becoming lulled into an almost hypnotic state of mind. To prevent from becoming mentally frenzied, and engaging in irrational behavior that doesn’t support your negotiation position, be objective and reflective when negotiating. Don’t be lured into the traps mentioned above … and everything will be right with the world. Remember, you’re always negotiating.

 The Negotiation Tips Are

• In any negotiation, know with whom you’re negotiating, how badly they want/need what you’re offering, and assess their tenacity to approximate how long they may stay engaged in the negotiation to obtain their goals.

• When negotiating, always leave a mental proverbial back door open in case you suffer a mental collapse. If need be, escape through it. Don’t become a psychological slave to mental insanity.

• To avoid psychological dilemmas, never get caught up in a tizzy and fail to execute your negotiation plan. Always strive to control your emotions.

 

by Greg Williams – The Master Negotiator. If you’d like more information on how you can boost your negotiation skills, click here to checkout Greg’s new book, “Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More.”