In my last post, I took Halloween and contract renewal season as an opportunity to begin exploring the seven deadly sins of a negotiator. These are sins that all of us commit from time to time, but depending on your circumstances, they can put your deal in mortal peril. I discussed pride, greed, envy, and lust. Now, it’s time to dig into the final three: wrath, gluttony, and sloth.
Wrath
In negotiations, wrath manifests as anger or aggression, leading to confrontational or hostile talks. If a negotiator becomes too emotional or allows anger to guide their decisions, they can create a combative atmosphere, pushing the other party away and preventing constructive dialogue.
To avoid this sin, keep your emotions in check by taking breaks or involving others in the negotiation. When you feel your emotions rise, take a time-out and get out of the room. This will help you calm down and clear your head. If your emotions are constantly running hot, you may want to consider bringing a partner into the room to help keep you calm, or even turning over leadership of the negotiation to someone else so that you can stay out of the hot seat.
Gluttony
In negotiations, gluttony can be seen as a hunger to just get the deal done, which results in an overindulgence in easy choices to get to the end. This can involve making unnecessary concessions or throwing money at a problem, instead of taking time to understand the underlying issues of the obstacle or objection. Gluttony sets a dangerous precedent, not to mention damages relationships by making future negotiations more difficult than they need to be.
To steer clear of this sin, even if you can give into a demand, avoid the temptation to just say, “Sure, no problem.” Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Instead, take a moment to understand the value of what you’re giving and align your give with the ask. This will help you minimize an unnecessary overindulgence of “junk food” decisions to just get through the deal.
Sloth
In negotiations, sloth is about being too lazy to prepare. A negotiator who doesn’t put in the necessary effort to define positions, understand the issues, research the other party’s position, or think creatively about solutions will miss critical opportunities and weaken their own bargaining position. The lazy negotiator consistently leaves value on the table.
To avoid this sin, prepare! It’s as simple as that. Even if your upcoming negotiation is similar to all of the others you’ve done, it will have unique issues and circumstances that need to be considered. Don’t let familiarity breed complacency. Remember, an ounce of effort can save a pint of blood when it comes time to negotiate.
And there they are — the final three deadly sins of a negotiator. Remember, these sins are easy traps to fall into, but they can be avoided if you’re purposeful and mindful during your negotiation. Avoiding these sins allows you to reap the benefits of creating valuable deals in less time while strengthening relationships with the other side.
We Can Help You Avoid the Negotiator’s Seven Deadly Sins.
By sidestepping these sins, you can create valuable deals in less time while strengthening relationships with the other side. Rely on Scotwork’s nearly 50 years of experience to develop truly glorious deals.