Arguing
During the bargaining stage much of your time will be spent in
arguing. Clear thinking (see Chapter 48) will help you to present
your case and expose the fallacies in your opponent’s arguments.
You should also consider themannerin which you argue. You
are not there to beat your opponent into the ground. In fact, in
the interests of future good relationships (which will benefit you
as well as your opponent) it is wise to leave an escape route. As a
leading trade unionist said: ‘Always leave the other fellow the
price of his bus ticket home.’
Avoid brow-beating your opponent. Disagree firmly, but don’t
shoot him down. Don’t try to make your opponent look small.
Score points, if you must, to discredit arguments or expose
fallacious reasoning but never in order to discredit him as a
person. If you indulge in personal attacks or abuse, your oppo-
nents will close ranks.
To argue effectively you must be prepared to listen both to the
stated, and to the implied, points made by your opponent. Don’t
talk too much yourself; it will prevent you reading signals, and
you may give too much away. Wherever you can, challenge your
opponent to justify the case on an item-by-item basis. Put the
onus on him by questioning for clarification. Answer a question
with another question if you want time to consider.
Argue calmly and without emotion, but emphasize the points
you really want to ram home either by raising your voice slightly
and slowing down to highlight your argument, or by repetition.
Control your anger. Express yourself strongly, by all means,
but you will lose everything if you lose your temper.
Always remember that you are not trying to win at all costs. If
your opponent wants something which you cannot give, don’t
just say no. Offer an alternative package. If your opponent is
asking for a higher specification than you normally provide for
the price and wants a delivery date which you cannot meet
without incurring extra overtime costs, say that you can meet the
specifications and the delivery deadline as long as he is prepared
to cover the costs.
Gambits
There are a number of standard bargaining gambits. Here are a
few of the more common ones:
How to Negotiate 241