Negotiation:
Core Competency for Career and
Business Success
Juan I. Sanchez, Ph.D.
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What negotiation is not…
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Negotiation = Gambling
And what starting salary
were you looking for?
I’d like to start around
$185,000 per year,
depending on your
benefits package
Negotiation = Gambling
Wow! Are you
kidding?
What would you say to a
package of four weeks’
vacation, 20 paid holidays,
company matching
retirement up to 30 percent
of your salary, and a new
company car every two
years…say, a brand-new
BMW?
Negotiation = Gambling
Of course, but you started it!
Negotiation = Gimmicks or Appearances
“When you are about to plead not
guilty, choose a winter-white suit to
highlight your innocence.”
“Trump wants you on “The
Apprentice.” Make sure to dress
louder than the other contestants.”
What is negotiation then?
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An iceberg theory of negotiation…
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Negotiation as a set of gimmicks is a shallow
iceberg likely to tip when the sea gets rough…
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Building a deep-rooted negotiation iceberg
allows you to float even in rough waters…
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Lesson #1: Wants = Needs
Needs
Hi
Lo
Wants
Hi
What you think you
need…
What you really
want…
“I need an A in your
class.”
You want to study hard.
“I need to close this deal You want to focus on the
today.”
negotiation.
“I need Mr./Mrs. X to
like me.”
You want to treat others
with respect.
Lesson #2: Do not keep score
Negotiation is not a game!
Keeping score makes it emotional: one side wins,
the other loses.
Keep your eyes on the ball: Looking at the
scoreboard keeps you from focusing on the
negotiation.
You control the process, but not the outcome.
Lesson #3: Be ready to walk away
Sometimes…
losing is winning
winning is losing
When you do not
place yourself in a
position that would
require you to deliver
a miracle.
When your slightly
higher salary makes
you a top candidate for
downsizing.
Lesson #4: Get them to talk
Ask open-ended & supportive questions
(they reveal the other side’s needs)
Do’s
What role do you see me
playing in…?
Don’ts
What will my job title be?
If I get the job, how can I
help you succeed?
What will be my
responsibilities?
What are the plans for the
facility where I’ll be
working?
Is this facility growing?
Lesson #5: Do not hard-sell
(unless you detect a serious
psychopathology on the other side)
People resent not having choices (example: the
choice of saying “NO”).
People do not necessarily know what they want, but
they don’t like you to tell them upfront.
People like to find out what they want by
themselves (but they’ll appreciate your helping
them).
Not everyone enjoys upfront feedback…
You have been a good horse, fast,
easy to ride, but you need to work on
your galloping a bit…
Not everyone enjoys upfront feedback…
I said “give me the feed-bag,” dummy, not
“give me feedback”!
Lesson #6: Know their needs
Needs are painful (one needs to satisfy them)
Common sources of needs
Ego trips (and ego traps).
Bringing “baggage” to the table.
Feelings of superiority.
Keeping score.
“I am better than you are.”
Prior victories.
That’s why you don’t have “needs,” just “wants.”
Lesson #7: Fit your offer to their needs
Examples
My cultural background seems ideal to your needs
in your _______ territory because…
My familiarity with employment law will help
tremendously with your________ because…
Having put together a whole pay structure from
scratch will help me solve your compensation
problem in the _______ area because…