Are you a weasel negotiator?

Do you try to negotiate in situations where you're not willing to walk away from the table?  Then, I'm sorry...but you're definitely a weasel.

Whether you're negotiating the price of a car, the terms in a contract, or asking for a raise...the first rule of negotiation is very simple:  If you're not willing to walk away, you have no business negotiating!

Still, people have a "What do I have to lose?" mentality.  "I might as well try to get another $1,000...right?" 

Wrong.  You have everything to lose. 

People often don't like it when someone tries to negotiate with them, but I've found people respect it, as long as people negotiate from a position of strength.

But when you try to negotiate without a willingness to walk away you can't possibly maintain a strong position.  You're bound to unconsciously give off signals that you're ready to back down at a moment's notice.  And when that person eventually does back down, people can't help but perceive them as greedy, manipulative, weak...in short, a weasel. 

And although you may not lose anything in the transaction, it's clear that this can damage the relationship (and relationships are everything).

So before you negotiate anything...please, ask yourself one question..."Am I willing to walk away?" 

Comments

[calvin]

ha ha. this is true as far as it goes. but it's also true that it never hurts to ask. often explaining a situation and asking for something more equitable will produce satisfactory results for everyone involved. not everything, even salary, has to be a negotiation.

[Joe Young]

I've usually seen people who can't walk away and then later realize what they got isn't even that important. So, I guess another good question to ask is, "Is this something I need or want?" If it's not a need, then definitely learn to walk away.

[Joseph Joel Sherman]

Professor Yahia Zoubir of Euromed Marseille notes that the Negotiator’s bargaining range is the distance between resistance (reservation) or walkaway point and target point. The walkaway point is the figure at which you break off negotiations. Knowing when to walk away is critical in a negotiation.

[J]

Perhaps for some people it's not about a "What do I have to lose?" mentality, it's about a "Is this a fair offer?" mentality.

Who cut your balls off Al Pittampalli?