During your negotiations, how do you gain from the perception of value? When you’re negotiating, do you even consider how you might increase the perception of value? To the degree the other negotiator perceives your offers and counteroffers as being valuable, you enhance your opportunities of receiving what you want from the negotiation.
The following are ways in which you can increase the perception of value in your negotiations.
Know The Opposing Negotiator’s Value System:
In order to gain influence over the other negotiator, you must know his value system. That means understanding what will motivate him to adopt an action based on what he wants and needs. The more insight you have about his sources of motivation, the more capable you’ll be to maneuver him in the direction that leads to a successful negotiation outcome. So, once you understand his sources of motivation, intimate that he can acquire what he seeks by following a certain course of action. If you don’t have what he wants, consider acquiring it from sources with whom you have clout, or from sources that might have a stake in the outcome of the negotiation. The dance of give and take will be the level of enticement you employ, based on how quickly or slowly he meets your requests.
Create Perception of Value Based on Perception:
When you discovered you’d won something, or was deemed to be number one, how did you feel? Most likely, you felt ‘special’. You can create that same sensation in the other negotiator by letting him know that you think he’s number one, or first in his class, etc. You must accomplish this through actions. As an example, the airlines do this when they have 1st class passengers walk upon a rug that may state ‘premier’ or something such as that. Then, for the other passengers, they walk on a rug that’s literally right beside the other one that doesn’t have such a designation. You might think that’s really silly to think that such a shallow occurrence would make someone feel ‘special’, but it does. The airlines project a perception of value with rugs that are almost on top of one another and some passengers ‘eat it up’ because it makes them feel ‘special’. You can use the same principle of increased value perception to make the other negotiator feel ‘special’.
Using Perception of Value In Your Next Negotiation:
In your very next negotiation, consider how you can create the perception of value by having the opposing negotiator walk through a magical door of more perceptional value. In so doing, also consider how you introduce it into the negotiation, when you’ll do so, and what you might do prior to the negotiation to enhance your enticement. As highlighted with the airline example, your value proposition can be enhanced in the smallest of ways and have huge returns for your efforts. You just have to give ample thought to what the other negotiator wants, how you can enhance its perception of value, and you’ll have him eating out of your preverbal negotiation hands. He’ll be happy in the end because he’ll think he received more than he’d anticipated, which means he’ll give you more of what you want, and you’ll have an easier time acquiring it. You’ll be a negotiation machine… and everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!