On the other side of the equation are those individuals who hate con-
frontation and disagreements and are haunted by the sound of silent ten-
sion. These individuals often easily capitulate, overpromise, or altogether
avoid the negotiation process. They do not like being put in a place where
they have to negotiate.
Most people assume that they are not very good negotiators and feel a
tinge of envy for those who are. Some people, even when they learn all the
tactical tricks of negotiation, will still buckle under the emotional tension
and overconcede their position. People are basically afraid of losing, and
they view negotiations as an opportunity to lose rather than as an opportu-
nity to gain.
MINI-MAX MODEL
One way to help gain your emotional balance in the negotiation process
is to walk yourself through the mini-max model of negotiation preparation.
This approach helps you sort out the emotional smog that can blur your
thinking in a tense negotiation. While you do not want the other party to
get everything, you do want them to walk away satisfied. You do not want to
appear avaricious, but neither do you want to be exploited. Here are the
mini-max questions you need to settle up front for your own emotional
equanimity.
- What is the minimum that I can accept (without feeling regret and
anger)?
•What is the maximum that I can ask for without getting laughed out
of the room (without feeling embarrassment and shame)? - What is the maximum that I can give away (without feeling exploited)?
•What is the least I can offer without getting laughed out of the room
(without feeling greedy or usurious)?
EMOTIONAL TRICKERY
Before walking into any negotiation, it is important to be aware of the
tactics, tricks, and techniques that more skilled negotiators will use to throw
you off your game. These individuals treat negotiation as a contact sport
and love it simply for the gamesmanship opportunity. Two specific as-
sumptions you want to be especially careful about are:
Negotiating Emotion 233