O: And in this region?
V: None as yet.
O: Then come back to me when you do.
From the very first second, the official takes on the role of ‘host’, asking their ‘guest’ a variety of questions before coming to a decision – the one that is most advantageous to them.
In my experience, this is often a point of confusion for many retailers. ‘Where did I go wrong?’ they will ask. ‘I gave them all the information they wanted and politely answered their questions, but in the end they went with someone else.’ To which I answer: when we answer questions, we become the ‘guest’; we give our opponent the role of ‘host’ and, in doing so, the right of refusal. And, having won that right, the buyer is certain to make the most of it.
You must fight for the role of ‘host’. This is crucial. If you feel you’re being asked more questions than strictly necessary, know that with every question asked you are being drawn further from your goal. So you must break this chain and seize back the initiative through counter-questions.
Let’s see how some well-placed counter-questions could have led to a very different outcome in the dialogue above.
V: We would like to ask you to free up some land for us to construct a supermarket
O: What do you plan to sell?
V: Consumer goods. These are important items for residents, and we have experience in this retail segment.
O: Tell me more.
V: Well, we have had branches operating in many Russian regions since 2000, and we have a wealth of experience and positive reviews. But tell me, do you think your residents would appreciate having a wide range of affordable goods within easy reach?
O: That’s an interesting question . . . I think so, perhaps.
V: I would be very grateful if you could take a look at our plans and give us your expert opinion. Would you prefer them by email, or on paper?
O: I prefer paper documents.
Through their counter-questions, the visitor wrests back the role of ‘host’ and in so doing puts themselves in a better position to progress in negotiations.
After answering a question, always ask your opponent a counter-question.
On a packed metro carriage:
’Excuse me, are you getting off at the next stop?’
‘Yes.’
‘And are the people ahead of you getting off at the next stop?’
‘Yes, don’t worry.’
‘Have you asked them?’
‘Yes, I have.’
‘And what did they say?’
‘They said they’re getting off.’
‘And you actually believed them?’
Postulate 3: impose a scale of values or ‘depreciate’
Next, whoever is playing ‘host’ will start to introduce their own value system. This marks the next stage of negotiations. As soon as this scale of values has been introduced, the state of play changes completely. This is because the party in the role of ‘host’ can now raise up or pull down the ‘guest’ at will, based on their own values.
Three hundred prominent scientists have assembled in a large hall. A bag is brought into the hall containing fifteen items. The scientists have no idea what these items are. The contents of the bag are emptied onto a table, and the scientists are given the task of arranging the objects by order of significance. There is an added twist: these objects have all been retrieved from a shipwreck. The scientists are given thirty minutes to complete the task. After this time has elapsed, a man from a law enforcement agency (this is clear from his physique, appearance and way of holding himself) comes into the hall and asks the scientists if they have completed their task. Needless to say, they have not: three hundred scientists could not come to a consensus in such a short space of time. To which the man says, ‘And you call yourself smart? You couldn’t deal with such an easy task as that!’
Can you see how the scientists’ sense of importance might suddenly take a dive?
But back to negotiation. Anyone who has worked in sales will probably have experienced the following situation more than once.
A buyer well-versed in negotiation methods takes a look at your proposal, tosses it to one side and asks: ‘So, what, you think you’re unique? You think I can’t get this anywhere else?’ As intended, these comments will start to make you feel that bit smaller.
In another example, a boss says to his subordinate: ‘What, you think you’re a star or something? That you’re the only one who can do this?’
Turning points like these almost always lead to one thing only: the person being addressed instantly slides a step or two (read: falls headlong) down their own scale of values.
A history exam at a university. The exam takes the form of an interview.
One student has paid the examiner a bribe of 1,000 roubles, the second 500 roubles, and the third nothing at all. The first student comes in for his exam. The examiner asks:
‘In what year did the Great Patriotic War start?’
‘1941.’
‘Good. A.’
The second student enters and is asked:
‘In what year did the Great Patriotic War start?’
‘1941.’
‘And when did it end?’
‘In 1945.’
‘Good. A.’
The third student enters and is asked:
‘In what year did the Great Patriotic War start?’
‘1941.’
‘And when did it end?’
‘In 1945.’
‘And how many people died?’
‘20 million.’
‘Now name them all!’
A colleague is ‘depreciated’
Maria is a driven young woman working in an in-house marketing and publicity team. She graduated from a top university and has five years’ experience at some major firms behind her. But whenever she speaks to her manager, a forty-five-year-old man who likes to throw his weight around, he always says things like: ‘Masha, dear, you probably don’t have the experience for such a complex assignment yet,’ or: ‘Your degree’s hardly going to cut it on an assignment like this.’ Maria, meanwhile, is running around like a headless chicken trying to prove herself to her manager.
Postulate 4: ‘roll out the red carpet’
Now you’re