Q & A Table of Contents
Negotiating With Multiple Parties
From: Sugito, Arlington, Texas
Question: What are the best ways to negotiate in business mixed-groups?
What I mean by business mixed-group is...A group in which there are
accountant, advertiser, manager and production department meeting together
for negotiation of a problem or any situation.
I have concluded that the methods in negotiating between two parties can't
be transferred to group situation readily.
Can you tell me some points on how to have a successful negotiation within a
group.
Response: People from within a company or other organization may very well
have significantly different agendas or sets of interests. Your examples of
someone from accounting, advertising, management, and production can be
understood as folks who are likely to have different mind-sets.
The more you ask them questions, the better you listen to their answers, the
more likely you are to develop strategies and possible solutions that appeal
to the different parties. You may also find partners who will support your
interests -- often in trade for your support or understanding of what is
important to them.
The preparation you do ahead of time can make all the difference in the
world in terms of your confidence and your likelihood of reaching a wise
decision.
When there are multiple parties involved in a negotiation, it is important
to do an especially good job of preparing. You should talk with each party
individually in advance of the 'formal' negotiation. Find out what their
interests and objectives are. Try to learn who is likely to agree with you
on particular points -- and who is going to be more difficult to convince.
During the negotiation process, it helps to have the substantive discussion
items written out ahead of time so that everyone arrives at the meeting with
parallel expectations of the issues to be covered. As each issue is
discussed, someone should take notes of any agreements reached. It can
often be helpful to have all the participants put their initials by each
point of agreement -- or by any decisions that can be called agreements to
disagree. After the meeting, everyone should be given a photocopy of what
has been discussed, what has been agreed, etc. That way, as the process
goes forward, people are less likely to be surprised by particular outcomes.
The most important thing is to recognize that information is the fundamental
asset of negotiation and that only by asking questions and then LISTENING to
the responses can you gain the information you need to reach a good
solution.
Good luck and good negotiating.
Steve
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