Barriers to the Negotiation Process

1. Negative Outlook

Your attitude during the negotiation-hostile or cooperative-decides the tone for the negotiation. Negotiation need not be confrontational. In fact, effective negotiation is characterized by the parties working together to find a solution, rather than each party trying to defeat the other party.

2. Attitude of Winning

Negotiations should be about finding solutions and adding value for all parties, not about winning or losing. As soon as we view the customer as the opponent, we compromise our ability to identify mutually beneficial outcomes.

3. Emotional Control

Strong emotions make us blind towards reason during negotiation. Though it is normal to become emotional during negotiation but as we get more emotional, we are less able to channel our negotiating behavior in constructive ways. Therefore, it is important to maintain control.

4. Price

Sales professionals identify price as the number one objection in the sales process and the most significant barrier in negotiations. Don’t give price more weight than it deserves!

5. Lack of empathy

Since we are trying to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties, we need to understand the other person’s needs, and wants with respect to the issue of negotiation. If we do not know what the person needs or wants, we will be unable to negotiate properly. Often, when we take the time to find out about the other person, we discover that there is no significant disagreement.

6. Wrong focus

Negotiators have a tendency to focus on the individuals rather than the issues involved. This is particularly true with people we dislike. There is a tendency to get off track by focusing on how difficult the person is. Once this happens, effective negotiation is impossible. It is important to stick to the real issues and put aside our personal feelings about the individual.

7. Blame Game

Playing the blame game makes the negotiation situation difficult. In any conflict or negotiation, each party contributes, for better or worse. If you blame the other person for the difficulty, it will result in defiance. If you take responsibility for the problem, you will create a spirit of cooperation.

In order to have an effective discussion, the people party to the discussion have to be able to hear, be heard, and understand each other. If you sense the other person is distracted, make it your responsibility to expose the cause. If it is going to impede the other person from listening or focusing on what you are saying, you may want to suggest postponing the meeting. If you feel it will cause the other person to rush through the meeting and grant concessions to wrap things up, then it may be advantageous to proceed. Until you know the situation, you can’t judge what the impact will be on the negotiations.