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Tip 722: Get the other side to go first. |
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As far as possible, try to get the other person to state what he or she has in mind first. With this information, you can alter what you have in mind before committing to it. Try these comments: "What did you have in mind when you requested 'changes' for your office?" "You mentioned discounts earlierwhat percentage are you accustomed to receiving?" "Can you give me some ideas about your budget?" When you must go first, state a range that allows you to ad lib as details become clearer about the possibilities and specifics. |
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Tip 723: Find out both ends of the range. |
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Try to discover the limits of other people's positions. What's the lowest price they'll accept and what's the best price they expect? What's the most time they'll donate and what are the fewest hours they expect to donate? On each issue, what's their range of responses? No information is more important to you. On the other hand, when someone is trying to find out the limits of your position and you want to signal that you're reaching your upward limit, increase your resistance to the ideas they're presenting and reduce the concessions you're granting. |
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Tip 724: Ask for more than you expect. |
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First, you might be surprised and get everything you want. Additionally, you allow yourself room to movetrading coupons for other issues you want to buy during the discussion. Finally, you have some spare coupons to give to the other person to make him or her feel like a winner also. |
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Tip 725: Circle the target. |
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When haggling over price, this principle often comes down to "let's split the difference." You ask $12,000 for the car; the buyer offers $11,000; and you settle on $11,500. Salespeople circle the target when they present product lines to their customers by showing them "top-of-the-line" refrigerators, "good" refrigerators, and "value-priced" refrigerators. Having set the upper and lower boundaries, they're expecting you to shoot for the middle. |
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Expand this principle into issues other than money. "I've asked you for four weeks' vacation and you've said two weeks is standard. How about if we settle for three weeks?" Another example: "I need a full-time assistant for this project. You've offered no budget at all for an assistant. What about authorizing 20 hours a week for a temporary employee?" |
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