Question

At the negotiation table, what’s the best way to uncover your negotiation counterpart’s hidden interests? Ask questions, then listen carefully. Even if you’ve decided to make the first offer and are ready with a number of alternatives, always open by asking and listening to assess interests. Note that if your style of listening isn’t sufficiently empathetic, it won’t elicit honest responses.

Furthermore, you’ll have to ask a lot of questions to get a clear picture of someone’s interests. And to model the type of response you’re seeking, you must be willing to reveal your own interests. Practitioners often assume that exposing their interests will give the other side an unfair advantage, but this is rarely true.

If your efforts to uncover the other party’s interests fail, try a new tack. Suppose that you’re a lawyer negotiating with a potential client on behalf of your firm. You ask, “Are you more concerned about the cost or the quality of our services?” His reply: “Both!”

You might then inquire, “Would you like us to assign our most senior attorney to your account? Her hourly rate is a bit higher than anyone else’s, but she’s one of the best in the field.” The client’s response will reveal whether he’s more concerned about price or quality.

Here’s another way to probe the same person’s interests: “Other clients have raved about the incredible devotion of our junior associates – and we only hire the best – to their cases. Giving them a prominent role would allow us to give you a lower hourly rate. Would you like to talk to some of the clients who have benefitted from this approach?”

Sometimes negotiators snag on an underlying value difference.

When this happens, bridge the gap by identifying overarching values that could provide a motivation to work together. Suppose that a community organization is challenging your company, a manufacturer, to pay more attention to the health concerns of local residents. Rather than arguing that your company has to stay focused on the bottom line, point out that you share the neighbors’ commitment to environmental improvement. Then consider proposing an effort to replace aging, polluting equipment with more efficient production technologies that save your firm money in the long run while simultaneously reducing the community’s health risk. Such value-creating opportunities can be uncovered by searching for a common interest, such as commitment to

environmental improvement, rather than letting the differences that exist between you dominate the discussion.

1. Which negotiation approach is being described in the article above?
2. Describe the differences between Distributive and Integrative Bargaining.
3. What effect does framing have on negotiations?

Answer 1

Integrative Negotiation or Win-Win Approach:

Here, the win-win approach or integrative approach is discussed. This negotiation reach is also known as collaborative or making worth reach. It is superior to all negotiation approaches as it always focuses upon creating value, and in this approach, both parties feeling that they are achieving what they wanted. It results in satisfaction for both parties.

B. In a distributive negotiation, every negotiator focuses on meeting his interests and benefits, regardless of the loss others may have to face.

Indifference, integrative negotiation transparent out on common heed of the parties and thus, approach positively that will be good for everyone and please to all the parties.

C. Framing an issue in negotiations means that you are focusing or giving much attention to one topic of a problem and leaving other aspects. It might elect to exclude some elements of an item from your frame. After all, they are irrelevant, because they might distract from the main point.