Are you a hard-core negotiator? Do you stand in and deliver on behalf of the company? Have they entrusted you to do so, or are you just out there, "winging it"? No matter what the answer is, you have a very vested interest in putting your point across in a way that the other side will find it hard to deal with.
Now everybody says: it's all about the close, it's all about the close. But guess what? You don't come in straight and strong setting the tone how you want with the right opener, you might as well kiss that supposed close goodbye! An oft-neglected aspect of how to put the opposition on notice with an unnerving comment or two is what this post is all about.
A good opener should establish immediately who boss is. Some examples:
"Alright, I'm gonna call one of you 'JUICE' and the other one 'STEEZE.' Who wants to be Steeze?"
"That tie is a deal-breaker. Take it off."
"Get all this shit off the table - I want a smooth, neat table."
After you've shocked 'em back on their heels just a bit, turn the tables with some positive reinforcement! Build your enemies up and get them thinking "this powerful, take-charge guy* is ON OUR SIDE." Examples:
"Wow, look how tall you are! Good job."
"You know what? I changed my mind, that's a nice tie. Put it back on."
"You strike me as the kind of person with no sexual problems whatsoever."
Then, straight back on to the offensive - don't give them a chance to breathe! Examples:
"These numbers look like shit to me. What did you do to them?"
"We're going to be here all day with the sorry state of this proposal of yours, so one of you nubs better go get us some sandwiches. Mine's roast-beef."
"That's not going to work for me, Steeze." (note: for best results, continuously refer to Juice as Steeze, and Steeze as Juice)
Again, those are just examples - as long as you don't deviate from the tone laid out above, feel free come up with your own examples "in the flow" - and never hesitate to fall back on a detailed, prepared script to recite when the going gets thick. Really grit into it. Treat it like a big, theatrical soliloquy and you're Alec Baldwin.
With these tips in mind, trust me, the opposition will not know what to do with you!
4 comments:
Great...now that nervous tick of mine is back.
Which one's that?
I like to know these things, in case a poker game breaks out.
I walked in with the papers in my hand and the customer says:
"So what? Now they have to send in the second team?"
I sat down at the table, looked the guy in the eye and said: "No, I'm the first team."
Closed it.
Thank you, limom. You raise a very good point that I didn't cover in this lesson: how to recover, in the event the other side fires the first shot over the bow.
People? You listening to the above? Take notes.
That's how.
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