Negotiating Deadline -- Friend or Foe?
Deadlines force action. It is no accident that many US taxpayers file their annual tax return on April 15th each year (the deadline imposed by the US government). Many Christmas presents are purchased on December 24th. Many political lobbyists get their bills passed just before adjournment.
Deadlines are part of life.
We readily accept many deadlines that are part of our daily lives. Work starts at 9AM and stops at 5PM. The doors on the airplane close at the scheduled time (sometimes). Bills are due on the 10th of the month.
We respond to many of these daily deadlines almost without awareness. Deadlines pressure us into making an "either-or" choice. You can choose to accept the deadline, or ignore it and live with the consequences.
Be Skeptical of Deadlines
Professional negotiators are skeptical of deadlines. Some deadlines are real. Some are not. Sometimes deadlines can be negotiated. Sometimes they can not. Good negotiators find out.
Many deadlines are not as real as you might think they are. Hotels will let you stay beyond their 12:00 checkout time without a charge. That proposal you are submitting is due on the tenth of the month, but may be accepted on the eleventh. The offer that was set to expire on the first of June is usually available on the second of June. All probably can be negotiated.
There are Risks!
Of course, in any negotiation there is a risk in not believing a deadline. The more you know about the other party and their organization the better you will be able to determine if a deadline is real or not. If it is important to you, you need to test the firmness of the deadline.
Remember that time is power.
The more time you have available to you in your negotiation the more negotiating power you have -- and the better the opportunity to use that time to arrive at a more favorable agreement. More favorable for both sides.
Most of us go into a negotiation with a self-imposed weakness. We are always aware of the time pressures on ourselves. This knowledge makes us less effective than we could be. What we should concentrate on are the deadlines that constrain the other party. If you have deadlines, there are probably deadlines on the other side too.
Three questions that will help you.
These three questions will help guide you out of the 'Deadline Trap'.
1. What self-imposed or organization-imposed deadlines am I under that make it harder for me to negotiate?
2. Are the deadlines imposed on me by myself, or my organization, real? Can I negotiate an extension with my own people.
3. What deadlines are putting pressure on the other party and their organization? Can I use their deadlines to my advantage?
Be wary and skeptical when a deadline is impacting your ability to negotiate the best agreement. Time limits have a way of hypnotizing us. We tend to accept them even when we should not. That is why you should put a deadline on any offer you put on the table during a negotiation. It may help motivate the other side to make the decision you want.
Deadlines are part of life.
We readily accept many deadlines that are part of our daily lives. Work starts at 9AM and stops at 5PM. The doors on the airplane close at the scheduled time (sometimes). Bills are due on the 10th of the month.
We respond to many of these daily deadlines almost without awareness. Deadlines pressure us into making an "either-or" choice. You can choose to accept the deadline, or ignore it and live with the consequences.
Be Skeptical of Deadlines
Professional negotiators are skeptical of deadlines. Some deadlines are real. Some are not. Sometimes deadlines can be negotiated. Sometimes they can not. Good negotiators find out.
Many deadlines are not as real as you might think they are. Hotels will let you stay beyond their 12:00 checkout time without a charge. That proposal you are submitting is due on the tenth of the month, but may be accepted on the eleventh. The offer that was set to expire on the first of June is usually available on the second of June. All probably can be negotiated.
There are Risks!
Of course, in any negotiation there is a risk in not believing a deadline. The more you know about the other party and their organization the better you will be able to determine if a deadline is real or not. If it is important to you, you need to test the firmness of the deadline.
Remember that time is power.
The more time you have available to you in your negotiation the more negotiating power you have -- and the better the opportunity to use that time to arrive at a more favorable agreement. More favorable for both sides.
Most of us go into a negotiation with a self-imposed weakness. We are always aware of the time pressures on ourselves. This knowledge makes us less effective than we could be. What we should concentrate on are the deadlines that constrain the other party. If you have deadlines, there are probably deadlines on the other side too.
Three questions that will help you.
These three questions will help guide you out of the 'Deadline Trap'.
1. What self-imposed or organization-imposed deadlines am I under that make it harder for me to negotiate?
2. Are the deadlines imposed on me by myself, or my organization, real? Can I negotiate an extension with my own people.
3. What deadlines are putting pressure on the other party and their organization? Can I use their deadlines to my advantage?
Be wary and skeptical when a deadline is impacting your ability to negotiate the best agreement. Time limits have a way of hypnotizing us. We tend to accept them even when we should not. That is why you should put a deadline on any offer you put on the table during a negotiation. It may help motivate the other side to make the decision you want.
Labels: negotiating techniques; Negotiation Strategies; negotiation tactics
posted by Karrass at
4:40 PM
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