The Negotiation Guru

What if you are face with such a goat? The nibbler attacks just when you are ready to close the deal. He will start asking for modest things to be included in the deal right before the deal is done. You can’t help but feel the urge to grant him his little demands.

“Can you add in this tie together with the suit?”

“Can you give me three years free warranty together with his?”

“There will be free delivery to my place right?”

You know that nibblers are attacking when they look for additional stuff to be included in the deal. They demand for something just before the agreement is being signed. Some people are really good at that. Just when you think you are reaching the finishing line, they throw you off by trying to squeeze some stuff out of you. You do not hope to see this deal go down the drains or strain the relationship with the other party, you begin to say yes.

Stop for a moment!

Why are you allowing this to happen? You must resist the temptation to close the deal and in the process, agree to every concession they ask for.

How to deal with such a situation?

1) Be very specific with the terms and clauses.

You must be very clear and very sure of what is included in the deal and what is not. Refuse to give the concession. Learn to say no to nibbling. Being assertive will prevent such a situation. When the other party has the leverage, you will be more prone to succumb to such nibbling acts.

2) Hold something back to give (if they start nibbling)

This is a popular tactic by retail stores. In order to retaliate against such requests by the consumers, they always have little free gifts prepared. I was trying to nibble before I pass them my credit card. I decided to try to ask for additional things to be included before I make the purchase.

“Will you be able to add this pair of socks together with my shoes? I need black socks.”

“Sir, we can’t do that. But we can give you a little brush to shine your shoes.”

There was no mention of the brush before I nibbled. This is probably the strategy of the shoe store to ward off nibblers like me. Both parties end up satisfied. I was glad I got the free brush, and they were glad they got the business.

3) If-Then tactic

The “If-Then” tactic is a very well-known tactic. Everyone deploys this tactic. When the other party starts to nibble, always try to trade for something.

“Will you add 3 years warranty to this?”

“Sir, we can do that. But you will have to purchase a 1 year warranty and we give you free upgrade to 3 years. How’s that for you?”

This almost always works! First, you can dissuade them of trying to nibble further. Second, you can get additional business.

Remember: Never succumb to nibbling.

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Jens Thang
Unleash The Negotiation Guru In You!