When the pressure is on, you don’t rise to the occasion; you fall to your highest level of preparation. So design an ambitious but legitimate goal and then game out the labels, calibrated questions, and responses you’ll use to get there. –Never split the difference, p.211 Continue reading Prepare, prepare, prepare.
It’s an offer-counteroffer method, at least on the surface. But it’s a very effective system for beating the usual lackluster bargaining dynamic, which has the predictable result of meeting in the middle. It’s 4 steps: Set your target price (your goal). Set your first offer at 65% of your target price. Calculate three raises of decreasing increments (to 85, 95 and 100 percent). Use lots of empathy and different ways of saying “No” to get the other side to counter before you increase your offer. When calculating the final amount, use precise, nonround numbers like, say, $37,893 rather than $38,000. … Continue reading Ackerman Bargaining
If you feel you can’t say “No” then you’ve taken yourself hostage. Once you’re clear on what your bottom line is, you have to be willing to walk away. Never be needy for a deal. –Never split the difference, p.204 Continue reading No neediness: Having the ready-to-walk mindset
Instead of naming a price, allude to an incredibly high number that someone else might charge. Ex: Once when a hospital chain wanted me to name a price first, I said, “Well, if you go to Harvard Business School, they’re going to charge you $2,500 a day per student.” –Never split the difference, p.199 Continue reading In bargaining, if the other side pushes you to name a price first.
–Never split the difference, p.198 Continue reading The Black Swan rule is don’t treat others the way you want to be treated; treat them the way they need to be treated.
You can usually express “No” four times before actually saying the word. 1st No: How am I supposed to do that? It has to sound like a request for help. Properly delivered, it invites the other side to participate in your dilemma and solve it with a better offer. 2nd No: some version of: Your offer is very generous, I’m sorry, that just doesn’t work for me. 3rd No: I’m sorry but I’m afraid I just can’t do that. 4th No: I’m sorry, no. –Never split the difference, p.181 Continue reading Get your counterparts to bid against themselves.
Conversely, the harder it is to get a first person pronoun out of a negotiator’s mouth, the more important they are. They will defer to the people away from the table to keep from getting pinned down. –Never split the difference, p.179 Continue reading The more in love they are with “I”, “me”, and “my” the less important they are.
On average, liars use more words that truth tellers and use far more third-person pronouns. They start talking about him, her, it, one, they and their rather than I, in order to put some distance between themselves and the lie. And they discovered that liars tend to speak in more complex sentences in an attempt to win over their suspicious counterparts. –Never split the difference, p.178 Continue reading The pinocchio effect
Pay very close attention to tone and body language to make sure they match up with the literal meaning of the words. If they don’t align, it’s quite possible that the speaker is lying or at least unconvinced. When someone’s tone of voice or body language does not align with the meaning of the words they say, use labels to discover the source of the incongruence. You: “So we’re agreed?” Them: “Yes…” You:” I heard you say, ‘Yes,’ but it seemed like there was hesitation in your voice.” Them: “Ohh, it’s nothing really.” You: “No, this is important, let’s make … Continue reading 7% message-based, 38% tone of voice, 55% body language and face
It only takes one bit player to screw up a deal. Identify those individuals by asking the following questions: How does this affect the rest of your team? How on board are the people not on this call? What do your colleagues see as their main challenges in this area? –Never split the difference, p.171 Continue reading Make sure to identify everyone who has a say in the deal
Roadmap to Billions 