“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

Questions In Negotiating
By Dr. Chester L. Karrass

Questions are mind-openers and can lead both parties in a negotiation into a more active involvement with each other.  This greater involvement is the key element to more satisfactory negotiations.

Involvement helps improve the probability of an agreement, and acts as a catalyst to help you discover “Both-Win” potentials that may not have been visible at the start of your negotiation.

The most direct route to understanding is through good questions.  The trouble is most of us think of our best questions after the negotiation is over – while we’re in the car going home or lying in bed the night after the negotiation.

You will discover more information and gain better understanding if you use “open-ended” questions.  These are questions starting with:

• What, Where, When, How;
• Or,  Help me understand; Explain to me; Describe to me;
• Be careful of “Why” – it may sound like a challenge.

Question-asking ability can be improved by following a few, rather easy “dos and don’ts.”  First, let’s look at the “don’ts”:

1. Don’t ask antagonistic questions unless you want a fight.
2. Don’t ask questions which question the honesty of the other party.  It won’t make him or her honest!
3. Don’t stop listening in your eagerness to ask a question.  Write your questions down and wait.
4. Don’t act like a lawyer.  A negotiation is not a courtroom trial.
5. Don’t pick just any time to ask a question.  Wait for the right time.
6. Don’t ask a question just to show how smart you are.
7. Don’t cancel out your teammates’ good question by asking your question before their question has been answered.

These “don’ts” have one thing in common.  They are communication barriers.  They block information flow.

Now the “dos”:

1. Do get your questions ready in advance.  Few of us are bright enough to think fast on our feet.
2. Do use every early contact as a fact-finding opportunity.  The best questions and answers come months before the negotiation, not at the negotiating table.
3. Do have a brainstorming question-asking session among your own people.  You’ll be surprised at the number of interesting questions they will raise.
4. Do have the courage to ask questions that pry into the other person’s affairs.  Most of us don’t like to. 
5. Do have the courage to ask what may appear to be dumb questions.
6. Do ask questions like a “country boy.”  You will find this attitude encourages good answers.
7. Do ask questions of the other person’s assistant, production person, engineer, technicians, etc.
8. Do have the courage to ask questions that may be evaded.  This in itself tells a story.
9. Do take frequent recess periods to think of new questions.
10. Do be quiet after you ask a question.
11. Do be persistent in following up your question if the answer is evasive or poor.
12. Do ask some questions for which you already have the answers.  They can help you calibrate the credibility of the other person.

Questions and answers can be looked at as a negotiation in their own right.  Every question has the character of a demand.  Every answer is a concession.  Those who demand better answers are more likely to get them.  This added information helps you conduct your negotiation and create better 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