Getting or giving the best possible price for a car is perhaps our most common experience of negotiation, and invariably we come out of the process feeling somewhat dissatisfied. It taints our understanding of what negotiation is and could be.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the impasse and feelings of being shafted:
Both parties want mutually exclusive outcomes from the start
There may be little incentive for the sales person to protect the relationship for the long term
There are so many options (vehicles and deals) available that it’s easy to feel we might have got a better one elsewhere
Sometimes we’re in a big hurry
Entering a business or relationship negotiation from these transactional standpoints is unlikely to yield the outcomes we desire. In these cases, it’s all about partnership.
Adopting the following approach will contribute to greater (and lasting) success.
Lean in, don’t lean out
Lean In & Negotiate
Seek to build a collaborative solution based on an understanding of a shared problem
Ensure that both parties have equal need of each other
Work on the relationship so that the other party wants to work with and sees you as a catch
Know what you can and can’t give away
Make genuine offers, don’t play games
Tell the truth…it will come out eventually (won’t it Herr VW?)
Be prepared to walk away if you don’t feel able to secure the above.