The five people you will meet in a negotiation

And like that, the two crossed paths and then simultaneously finished by standing behind each other’s vacated chairs.

*Clap*

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have the real winners!” the boss announced. His single clap became applause; a sign of relief clearly etched on his face. He took one step towards Frank, and with the dexterity of a long beaked stork picking up a grub, plucked the fifty-dollar note from under Franks nose with two fingers. As he took the three steps to Helen he once again reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his wallet, but instead of returning the note from where it had come, the boss pulled out another crisp, yellow 50-dollar bill. He now had a total of 100 dollars in his hands.

“Helen, for getting Gerry to stand behind your chair, here’s fifty dollars.” He turned, took five steps to the other side of the boardroom table. “And Gerry, congratulations. Here is another fifty dollars, for getting Helen to stand behind your chair.”

The two looked proud.

All but Frank realised what had happened. He was still looking at his fingers where his winnings once were.

The five negotiators

Andrew, Brett, Carla, Darren, Helen, and Gerry represent the five types of negotiators you will encounter. Andrew, Brett and Frank are all competitive – demanding, even threatening, until their opponents concede. They show little to no compromise, and winning is more important than maintaining the relationship. Competitive negotiators want a quick win today, because there may be no tomorrow. And chances are, that’s exactly the case, since the loser is loath to return for round two.

Carla and Darren, are strong believers that win-win means fifty-fifty because they also believe that the metaphorical pie is fixed. This zero-sum philosophy ensures that any gain is at the expense of the other and there is no comprehension that the pie, or 50 dollars, could double. As a consequence, the very best outcome imaginable is 50-50. But that’s not win-win. That’s half win, half win. Which also means half lose, half lose.

Eddie is an accommodator, and was unluckily paired with Frank, a competitor. In these aggressive-passive relationships it is the Eddies of the world that, through their own naivety, get cheated by others. Of course, we are all accommodators at times, particularly within the family unit, but at the negotiation table, it’s a flaw that leads to a win for the other guy.

And Helen and Gerry, while finally saving the day, were originally conflict avoiders. Rather than risk damaging their relationship with one another or feeling embarrassed over a heated debate, both, at first, decided to avoid playing the game. Harmony above winning – that was of course until Helen figured out that harmony could be maintained, and a positive outcome for both accomplished, if both were problem solvers. Ignoring the limiting belief that negotiations are constrained by a fixed sum, Helen coached her partner Gerry, and literally doubled the money. Fifty-fifty became one hundred-one hundred. Or in other words, win-win.

Knowing your preferred negotiation style is your first step to moving towards a problem-solving mentality. The question now remains, “Andrew, Brett, Carla, Darren, Eddie, Frank, Gerry or Helen. In your next negotiation, which role will you play?”

Melbourne based Morry Morgan is the author of ‘Selling Big to China – Negotiating Principles for the World’s Largest Market’. Between keynote speaking engagements, he works with Global 1000 firms within Asia Pacific to develop the negotiation and leadership capability of their leaders.