Five Tips to Properly Handle Heated Negotiations
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This is a guest post by University of Notre Dame.
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You know the scenario: you’re in the middle of sales negotiations when something goes terribly awry. The client is making demands and becomes very aggressive with you; you’re stressed and need to figure out how to meet the clients’ requirements while satisfying your own needs. You stare blankly at the client. Negotiations become tense and grind to a complete halt.
Knowing how to handle an aggressive client during sales negotiations is an art within the art of negotiation itself. Remaining calm and buying yourself time can help you remain in control of the negotiation, but you have to know what to do and exactly when to do it. Five tips to handle heated negotiations include:
1. Stay Calm, Cool and Quiet
When you feel like you’re backed into a corner during negotiations, stay calm and don’t say a word. You don’t want to blurt out something you might regret later. Take a deep breath and let the tension of the situation go; you’ll soon find yourself being objective and willing to listen without feeling defensive. Breathing deeply allows more oxygen into your system; you’ll find clarity within your thoughts and how you process information.
2. Take a Walk
Step out and cool down. A quick walk around the building can give the tension of the situation a chance to dissipate. Use this break to clear your thoughts and focus on how to come to an agreement with your client. Tempering the emotions of the negotiation can lead to closing the deal.
3. Delay, if Necessary
If a quick walk won’t be enough to rectify the stress of the negotiation, perhaps breaking for coffee, lunch, dinner or another longer delay is in order. Sometimes clients can be very stubborn; deferring the negotiation can provide a much-needed opportunity to clear your mind and start fresh.
4. Replay the Conversation
Think back to what was said during the negotiation. At what point did it take a hostile turn? Review the conversation and focus on the hot-button issues. Try to remain objective in your thoughts. Pinpointing pivotal moments in the conversation can help streamline your response and counteroffer.
5. Don’t Make Quick Decisions
In the heat of battle, the last thing you should do is make a quick decision. You never want to agree to anything while feeling angry, stressed or defensive; you’ll likely lose something important. Take the necessary time to figure out the next steps. Don’t worry that the client will bail on the deal – they’re hoping for a win and want to see if you’ll bend to their demands.
The goal during a negotiation is to make all parties happy. If you make rash decisions during a hostile debate, you’ll likely lose what you needed from the deal. When a client becomes aggressive with his needs, relax, take your time and focus on regaining control. A calculated response to an antagonistic situation can make or break the deal.
This guest article is by the University of Notre Dame which offers online negotiation training courses to improve negotiation skills. The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of University of Notre Dame and do not necessarily reflect those of Great Management.
Hi, Andrew Rondeau here. I have over 25 years of hands-on management experience within a diverse range of different industries including retail, manufacturing, finance and IT. I’ve managed teams of up to 1000 individuals, managing numerous $multi-million projects, mergers, acquisitions and company sales.
Thanks Andrew!
Twitter: happymakernowco
That is the key to stay calm. And always think before you speak! Life can be that way in the office or out of the office. Kind of like we teach children when crossing the street. Stop, look and listen, then when the time is right move forward.
Debbie
Things can go south real fast if you don’t think before you speak. Another tip is to pick a focal point and use that as a reminder to remain calm. This works especially well when giving speeches too!
So if there’s a clock near the person use that as a reminder to pause before you say something and release your tension.
Dear Andrew -
In a heated debate, there is an old sales statement.
Silence.
The first one to speak loses.
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Be careful! Some people use their ability to get you worked up as a negotiation tactic. They’re well aware that when you’re hot under the collar, you’re not likely to make the best decisions. They try to get under your skin in hopes that you’ll not think as clearly and they’ll be able to take advantage of you in some way. This method is used all the time.
Steve – this is definitely true and does happen all the time. That’s why I sometimes pick out an object in the room or area to remind myself to remain calm and take a deep breath – Great point though
Twitter: themepremium
Taking a break is a good solution but delaying is something which is not so good. As it may irritate the conversation a lot.. Probably one should carry on after cool down session.
I think being calm and collected is a very crucial trait to have when negotiating with someone. Usually when you’re emotional, you make rash decisions that you often regret later on.
Twitter: closemydeal
Good article, especially the tip about taking a break or adjourning. One other point about dealing with aggressive behaviour – it may ultimately be helpful to stop the negotiation and make their behaviour the issue. You don’t have to be aggressive about it yourself, but you can make it clear that you are not happy with their behaviour.
Why does this help? Because most bad behaviour in negotiations is tactical – designed to put you under pressure. If you demonstrate that you know what’s going on by making their behaviour the issue, then they will normally drop that behaviour. There’s no point in them pursusing that tactic if you have shown them that you know what they are up to.
When getting in a heated discussion with a co-worker, or anyone else, really, I’ve learned that it’s best to remain calm and say as little as possible. Instead of pointlessly arguing or shouting, remain calm & and think before you speak.