In B2B negotiation there are no friends, there are only interests

 

A strong opening statement sets a powerful psychological anchor and acts as a reference point during the whole negotiation

 

For a negotiation to progress, both sides have to accept from the outset that no-one is going to get 100% of what they want

 

Every negotiator has two kinds of interests – the substance and the relationship

 

Never assume anything before investigating interests

 

Discovering the other party’s interests is fundamentally about understanding why a particular demand is so important

 

If the discussion is fixated on price, you must add an issue, or break the price into its multiple components. Otherwise, it risks becoming antagonistic and/or a pure street-market haggle

 

Remember that if you are looking for an ally, one will appear. If you are looking for an enemy, one will appear!

 

Most people do not mean to be dishonest or irrational. What you usually see instead is egocentrism, social pressure, and hidden constraints or motives

 

The purpose of a deal in B2B is implementation (not the transaction), so discuss implementation early and often

 

The relationship between the negotiators is often not the same as the relationships at the point of implementation – again a great reason to discuss how and by whom the deal will be implemented

 

In the world of B2B, people nearly always negotiate more forcefully when negotiating on someone else’s behalf

 

Sometimes, just agreeing on the process helps advance the negotiation

 

Any kind of manipulation, whether real or perceived, will eventually backfire

 

Negotiation is like strategy, it’s a combination of planned which is then realised, and emergent

 

Question: What if there is are no common goals?  Answer: The negotiation is going to be either antagonistic or ultimately fruitless!