Outnumbered?

I suspect every experienced negotiator has been caught by surprise when the other party turned out to outnumber them significantly. An attempt to intimidate is the usual reason we suspect for the imbalance in numbers.

Let's look at some of the reasons for being outnumbered that actually work to our advantage:

• This negotiation is extremely important to the other party.

• The other party is unprepared.

• The outcome affects multiple departments in the other party's organization.

• They are all present to protect individual parochial interests.

• It takes eight of them to make a decision.

• You have them scared.

• You will become a mentor during the negotiation; they are here to learn from you.

• You buy a good lunch.

Each of those reasons provides you the opportunity to say, "Oh boy! Look at all of them; how great for me!"

Jim Sauerwein