Tactics Used in
Negotiation Process
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING - UNIT 4
Isha Chugh
Assistant Professor
Gargi College
University of Delhi
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
Tactics are always an important part of the negotiating process.
More often they are subtle difficult to identify and used for multiple
purposes. Tactics are more frequently used in distributive
negotiations and when the focus is on taking as much value of the
tables as possible. Many negotiation tactics exist. Few commonly
used tactics are listed below:
1. Auction: The bidding process is designed to create competition. When
multiple parties want the same thing, put them against one another. When
people know that they may lose out on something, they want it even
more. Not only do they want the thing that is being bid on, they also want
to win, just to win. Taking advantage of someone's competitive nature can
drive up the price.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
2. Brinkmanship: One party aggressively pursues a set of terms to the point
where the other negotiating party must either agree or walk away. Brinkmanship
is a type of " hard nut" approach to bargaining in which one party pushes the
other party to the "brink" or edge of what that party is willing to accommodate.
Successful brinkmanship convinces the other party they have no choice but to
accept the offer and there is no acceptable alternative to the proposed
agreement.
3. Bogey: Negotiators use the bogey tactic to pretend that an issue of little or no
importance is very important. Then, later in the negotiation, the issue can be
traded for a major concession of actual importance.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
4. Chicken: Negotiators propose extreme measures, often bluffs, to force the
other party to chicken out and give them what they want. This tactic can be
dangerous when parties are unwilling to back down and go through with the
extreme measures.
5. Flinch: Flinching is showing a strong negative physical reaction to a proposal.
Common examples of flinching are gasping for air, or a visible expression of
surprise or shock. The flinch can be done consciously or unconsciously. The
flinch signals to the opposite party that you think the offer or proposal is
absurd in hope the other party will lower their aspirations. Seeing a physical
reaction is more believable than hearing someone saying, "I'm shocked”.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
6. Defence in Depth: Several layers of decision-making authority is used to allow
further concessions each time the agreement goes through a different level of
authority. In other words, each time the offer goes to a decision maker, that
decision maker asks to add another concession to close the deal.
7. Good Guy/Bad Guy: The good guy/bad guy approach is typically used in team
negotiations where one member of the team makes extreme or unreasonable
demands, and the other offers a more rational approach. This tactic is named
after a police interrogation technique often portrayed in the media. The good guy
appears more reasonable and understanding, and therefore, easier to work with.
In essence, it is using the law of relativity to attract cooperation. The "good guy"
appears more agreeable relative than the "bad guy".
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
8. High Ball/Low Ball: Depending on whether selling or buying sellers or buyers
use a ridiculously high, or ridiculously low opening offer that is not achievable.
The theory is that the extreme offer makes the other party re-evaluate their own
opening offer and move close to the resistance point (as far as you are willing to
go to reach an agreement). Another advantage is that the party giving the
extreme demand appears more flexible when they make concessions toward a
more reasonable outcome. A danger of this tactic the opposite party may think
negotiating is a waste of time.
9. The Nibble: Nibbling is asking for proportionally small concessions haven't
been discussed previously just before closing the deal. This met takes advantage
of the other party's desire to close by adding "Just one mom thing”.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
10. Deadlines: Another tactic is to give the other party a deadline forcing them
to make a decision. This method uses time to apply pressure on the other party.
Deadlines given can be actual or artificial.
11. Snow Job: Negotiation overwhelm the other party with so much
information that they have difficulty determining what information is important,
and what is a diversion. Negotiators may also use technical language or jargon
to mask a simple answer to a question asked by a non-expert.
12. Scotting: A tactic of lowering one's voice to create a position of power is
another way of negotiating with each other.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
13. Mirroring: When people get on well, the outcome of a negotiation is
likely to be more positive. To create trust and a rapport, a negotiator may
mimic mirror the opponent's behavior and repeat what they say. Mirroring
refers to a person repeating the core content of what another person just
said, or repeating certain expressions. It indicates attention to the subject of
negotiation and acknowledges the other party's point or statement.
Mirroring can help create trust and establish a relationship.
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
THANK YOU!
Isha Chugh, Department of Commerce, Gargi College
