9 conclusions from the book «Everything is Negotiable: How to Get the Best Deal Every Time» 🏆
Are you a donkey, a sheep, a fox, or an owl?
No, I'm not calling anyone names. Donkey, sheep, fox, and owl are 4 types of negotiators from Gavin Kennedy's book, «Everything is Negotiable: How to Get the Best Deal Every Time». From it, you will find out what type you belong to, and you will also discover several proven tactics for successful negotiations.
You can read and listen to this book online, or you can save yourself a lot of time and read the 9 main conclusions from it without the fluff in just 5 minutes. Well, to make what you read really useful, a task awaits you at the end of the article.
Enjoy reading!
1. The four types of negotiators
All people negotiate differently. And the author of the book, Gavin Kennedy, identified four categories of negotiators among us:
Donkey. A primitive negotiator who knows nothing about the methods and principles of dialogue. Very stubborn and does not listen to the opponent; to show flexibility and compromise for him is a whole feat.
Sheep. A little sociophobic, runs away from negotiations and is afraid to insist on his own. In theory, he knows how to conduct these negotiations of yours, but prefers not to do this. He allows himself to be pressured and agrees to the first offer. Rather retreat than start arguing.
Fox. A man with a strong mind. He plays on the weaknesses of the donkeys and sheep, and he is ready to achieve his goal at any cost. For him, the main thing is the result, and the methods do not matter.
Owl. Negotiation Guru. He clearly knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it. Conducts negotiations calmly and confidently, observing ethics and respect for the interlocutor.
Well, did you recognize yourself among them? Not everyone falls into one exact category; we can drift somewhere in between them. This is the next conclusion.
2. You were a donkey, a fox, and who are you now?
Negotiations are not only about business people in suits always hanging on their phones. In fact, we have been negotiating all our lives. For example, you had your first negotiations right after birth. At this age, all donkeys demand food or a diaper change, persuading with a loud cry. At the age of six, we become foxes (remember those tantrums in stores?). What did you grow up to be? And who do you want to be now?
3. Never accept the first offer.
The fact is that in negotiations, you are not expected to quickly agree to the first proposal. If you make this mistake, the buyer will begin to subconsciously look for a defect in the product or service (too cheap, got it without a fight!). And if he does not find flaws, then he will definitely come up with them. In the end, no one will be happy.
4. Two important don'ts
We often make stupid mistakes that are easy to avoid. Here are a couple of these from the book «Everything is Negotiable»: