“I thought the seminar was very useful. I've been using some techniques in my daily negotiations ever since. In fact, I thought the information was so valuable that I want to bring the KARRASS seminar In-House for our world-wide conference.”

John Copley,
Manager,
Commodity Purchases,
CORNING

KARRASS Effective Negotiating® Tip

Real and Straw Issues
by Dr. Chester L. Karrass

This monthly tip is going to be a little long, but please bear with me. I’m going to use a little story to illustrate this concept. Then I’ll address how this technique can impact your negotiations.

Here we go. . . .

---------------

Once upon a time there was a wise man who lived in a small village. An unhappy woman went to the village wise man seeking advice. She lived in a small hut, barely large enough for her husband and two children. It came to pass that hard times befell her husband’s parents. They had no place to live. Being kind, she let them move into the already-crowded hut. The crowded space soon got on her nerves. “What should I do?” she cried to the wise man.

The wise man stroked his beard, thought awhile, and asked, “Have you a cow dear lady?”

“Yes,” she said, “but what has this to do with my problem?”

“I have an answer,” he advised. “Take the cow into the hut for a week and then come back and see me.” She followed his advice reluctantly. After all, he had a good reputation as a wise man.

A week passed and things got worse. Every time the cow turned, the six occupants had to change seats. It was impossible to sleep. The woman returned to the wise man in tears. “I am more miserable than ever,” she said and told him the whole story.

The wise man stroked his beard, thought awhile, and asked, “Have you any chickens, dear lady?” “

Yes,” she said, “but what has that to do with my problem?”

“I have an answer,” he advised. “Take the chickens into the hut for a week and then come back to see me.” More skeptical than ever, she again took his advice, for he was a wise man.

A week later, hysterical, she returned. “You are insane,” she said. “Your advice is bad. My hut is now impossible to live in. The cow turns, the chickens fly, the in-laws cough, the children find feathers in their soup, and I fight with my husband. It’s all your fault.”

The wise man stroked his beard, thought awhile and said, “Dear lady, try one more thing when you go home. Take out the cow. Come back in a week.”

A week later she returned. “How to you feel, dear lady?” The wise man asked.

“This is ridiculous,” she said, “but I feel a little better now that the cow is out of the hut.”

The wise man stroked his beard, thought awhile and said, “I have a solution to your problem. Take out the chickens.” The lady took out the chickens and lived happily ever after with her husband, her children, and her in-laws. --------------------

This story points to a technique used by many negotiators – buyers, sellers, engineers, project managers, supervisors, executives.

Issues are created—some are real and some are made of straw. There are three reasons to do this: (1) to reduce the other party’s aspiration level; (2) to provide you some trading room; (3) to make it easier for the other party to convince their own department/organization that they arrived at a good agreement. Upon return the other party can tell everyone they were successful in getting “the cows and chickens” removed. Everybody breathes a sigh of relief—it could have been worse.

You can use straw issues to strengthen your bargaining position. They provide room to negotiate and compromise. In the absence of other concessions they give the other party something to take home.

How should you respond when you encounter this technique?

• Have patience. Some issues lose importance.

• Separate the real issues from the straw issues by engaging in off-the-record discussions.

• Ignore or bypass some of the issues.

• Suggest sweeping trades of unrelated issues.

• Protest that the other person is clouding matters and wasting time.

• Be aware the other party may attempt to trade straw issues for something of value. Don’t let them.

Remember, for as few as 12 people, KARRASS can present a private seminar at your facilities.

Tell your associates about the KARRASS Seminars which are held around the U.S. and in Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia. KARRASS presents more than 800 public and private seminars every year. Our Corporate Program provides discounts when multiple people attend.

For more information, contact:

US Sales at 323-866-3800 or KARRASS Worldwide Sales in the UK at 44 1202 853210

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