Question

There are both strategies and tactics that a negotiator might employ in a distributive bargaining situation. Analyze these strategies and tactics that negotiators have at their disposal. Which of them would you be most comfortable with and why?

Answer 1

A negotiator may try to convince the other party to settle close to the negotiator’s unknown resistance point so that they may retain the largest piece of the pie being negotiation about. Another strategy would be to convince the other part to change his/her resistance point by swaying the other party’s ideals about the value of what is being negotiated about. Increasing ordecreasing the value of the object of the negotiations can help the negotiator secure more of thepie as well. “If a negative settlement range exists, to convince the seller to reduce her resistancepoint or to change his own resistance point, to create a positive settlement range” Lastly, the negotiator can attempt to convince the other party that what they have come up with this far is the best possible outcome. By convincing him/her that to settle because they are getting what is best for them helps to stop them from believing that this is all they could come up with or that there is no way the he/she could get more. It makes the other party feel satisfied with the results. All of these strategies would allow the negotiator to manage the other party’s perception of the facts and obtain the most favorable outcome through persuasion.

The tactical aspect of these strategies require the negotiator to, “(1) assess the other party’s target, resistance point, and cost of terminating negotiations; (2) manage the other party’s impression of the negotiator’s target, resistance point, and cost of terminating negotiation, (3) modify the other party’s perception of his or her own target, resistance point, and cost of terminating negotiation, and (4) manipulate the actual costs of delaying or terminating negotiations”

I would be most comfortable managing the other party’s perception of their own target, resistance point, and cost of terminating the negotiation. Helping others see my perspective through their own eyes is something that I have become pretty good at doing. Being able to point out the good in any situation will helped me to more easily persuade others that because there is much good in the deal for them it will be worth much more to them to accept the deal asis when everyone is happy than to lose any value by further negotiating and possibly losing ground.