A Very Powerful Negotiation Technique
When we are negotiating to buy something, at some point the question of price is going to come up. Sometimes we know exactly what the prices we are willing to pay for something. However, sometimes we have no idea what the value of something is. This can also occur when we are selling something, and we are unsure of how much to ask for the item.
Even job offers have an element of negotiating and it is usually uncomfortable for the candidate to answer the inevitable question: “What are you expecting as compensation?”
With this in mind, there is a very powerful negotiation technique that we can use not only get a fair price but to get good terms for the rest of the deal. We can also use it when negotiating a new job offer.
Simply, it involves asking the other person for their advice.
For instance, if you are negotiating for a new job, and are unsure of how much to ask for salary, you could simply say: “I’ve been working very hard in this field for a long time, however I am new to negotiating salary. I know that you have hired many people and are a master negotiator, so I would like to ask you, what do you think I should do? I would like to be a valuable partner at this company.”
If you are selling a large item like a company, you could ask a potential buyer: “You are the expert so could I please ask you to give me some advice? What do you think I should do? Please advise me as you would advise a friend and hopefully future colleague. I would love to get into a great partnership with your company.”
You could do the same thing if you were selling almost anything. For example, if you were selling a used car to a dealership, you could also ask for advice.
You could say: “I have owned this car for awhile and love it but realize it’s time for a new car. You are a master negotiator and have bought and sold many cars while I am a complete amateur. So please pretend you’re just helping out a friend; I want to be a partner with you in this and hopefully buy another car.
“So, I need your advice, since you’re an expert how much do you think I should be asking for this car? I respect you as an expert in this field I know that you will give me good advice.”
If you follow this technique, there are three happy results that will very often occur:
Number one, the person you ask for the advice is going to feel happy because you’ve given them status as an expert.
Number two, they are much more likely to give you good advice because you said they were an expert and showed them that respect.
Number three, if you followed the advice that they gave you they’re almost certainly going to say yes to the negotiation because they told you what to say, making it a negotiation much easier.
Also, if you mention that you are looking forward to a great partnership, there is a strong bond that you are creating in future relations with that person, further encouraging them to treat you fairly.
Naturally, you need to ensure that you are getting a fair deal and not being taken advantage of, even if you ask for advice.
While this technique is not fool proof, and negotiators should always have as much information as possible when entering a negotiation, it is a highly effective way to get better results.