“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

Negotiating Starts with Assumptions
by Dr. Chester L. Karrass

Most negotiations start with both sides having a set of assumptions regarding what the other side wants, needs, or are able to do, or not do.  One of the purposes of the negotiation process is to discover if your assumptions are valid. 

Never trust your assumptions because they are likely to be as wrong as right.

Let’s look at some common assumptions many business people start with:

“They will never pay that much.”
“They don’t want to do business with us after the last mess-up.”
“We’ve got to have it done in 60-days.”
“There is a lot of competition.”
“They would never be interested in this option.”
“He doesn’t have enough money.”
“I’m sure we’re not the low bidder.”

Assumptions like this can defeat you before you even start negotiating.  These assumptions lower your own expectations, influence the outcome of the negotiation; and may, in fact, be dead wrong!

Be careful!  Your assumptions can:

*  Cause you to make high offers when low ones are called for.
*  Influence you to make low demands and quick concessions when opposite actions are warranted.
*  Seduce you into believing deadlines when patience is by far the better course of action.
*  Create potential hurdles that can move you in the wrong direction.

Don’t fall in love with your assumptions.  Part of the negotiating process is to check them out.  Assumptions are neither right nor wrong until proven so.

Assumptions place boundaries on the potential outcomes of a negotiation.  The better you validate these boundaries, the better position you will be in to create truly Both-Win outcomes.

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

Effective Negotiating—the original and most widely attended negotiating program in the world.
Effective Negotiating 2—the follow-on program.
Effective Negotiating In Your Own Organization—internal negotiations.

KARRASS conducts more than 800 public and private seminars every year.  See the KARRASS website for locations and public seminar dates, or ask us about bringing one of our programs into your facility.

For more information, contact:

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

Tell your friends and associates about KARRASS!  Our Corporate Program provides discounts when multiple people attend.

© 2007 KARRASS LTD.  All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without expressed written permission of KARRASS LTD. is prohibited.  e-mail: mail@karrass.com