264 I Can Read You Like a Book
By doing this, you will know him inside out before you sit at the
table to discuss money. Once you do sit, you will see familiar gears
engage. He will try to maneuver, usually from behind a barrier. He
will turn the contract around to you. Look at it for a few seconds.
Use phrases such as, “From where I am sitting,” or, “If you were
sitting here, you would see what I mean” to suggest that he really
would benefit in this deal if he understood your point of view. At the
same time, use your body language to get him from behind the desk.
Now he is in your court and you can negotiate more effectively.Dealing with high pressure
Not all salespeople are high pressure, nor do all high-pressure
tactics come from salesmen. Fundraisers, evangelists, people des-
perate for a date, and even friends, family members, and acquain-
tances can resort to high pressure to get what they want. This
pressure usually involves some sort of bonding behavior that makes
the person similar to you and makes it more difficult for you to say
no to this fellow tribe member.
I have noticed this approach more and more in the prepared
scripts used by telemarketers. One called me recently and began
his conversation with, “Hi, Gregory, how are you today?” No one
who actually knows me calls me Gregory. He then started to talk
about the war in Iraq, and how many young men were returning
from the war with body-shattering injuries. This move is bound to
cause some reaction, whether you are for or against the war. My
first thought was an anti-war fund-raiser. I was slightly amused