By David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius
Raintoday Note: The following article is an excerpt from David A Lax and James K. Sebenius' book, 3D Negotiation: Powerful Tools to Change the Game in Your Most Important Deals, which was recently published by Harvard Business School Press. In this excerpt, David and James discusses some of the critical tactics business professionals can use in sales discussions.
Top negotiators know that some of the most important work they can do takes place before they ever get to the negotiating table. Unlike those who focus solely on the tactics at the table, they know that there are three essential parts to every successful negotiation -- tactics, deal design, and setup -- and as with a three-legged stool, if you take away one you're likely to fall on your behind.
The tactics that you use while you're at the table need to be chosen wisely so that they reinforce your objectives -- with which you should have become very familiar during the design and setup of your deal.
One of the many tactics to keep in mind is deciding when to talk and when to listen. At the table, you learn by listening and observing. You rarely learn much when you are talking!
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