Free The Intelligent Negotiator by Charles Craver Page B

by evaluating your situation, then evaluate the next step.

W HAT D OES Y OUR C OUNTERPART W ANT?
    The Intelligent Negotiator garners accurate information about what her opponent wants through a series of exchanges that consist of asking questions, listening for verbal leaks, and looking for nonverbal signals. Having critical information at the outset of negotiations lessens the chance that we will make erroneous assumptions about our opponents. Assumptions often turn out to be incorrect and could hinder resolution of conflict.
    Ask Questions
    Your general focus in the information exchange should be on the interests and desires of the other party. So ask questions. Spend as much time as possible asking and listening, and less time explaining your own position. Ask questions rather than speaking in declarative sentences,which do nothing but give your counterparts information. The challenge you face is to obtain as much relevant information about your counterpart’s situation as possible, without disclosing too much of the confidential information pertaining to your own circumstances.
    What resources and non-settlement options are available to the other side? This is what you need to know, therefore design your questions to elicit this information. If you can get away with it, casually ask what the other side plans to do if it is unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement with you. If you succeed and your counterpart discloses his or her true BATNA (see chapter 2 ), you’ll be able to accurately estimate how much you will ultimately have to offer to get the counterpart to accept your terms over his or her non-settlement alternatives.
    There is an art to asking information-seeking questions. For instance, many negotiators make the mistake of asking narrow, focused questions that can be answered with brief “yes” or “no” responses. When this happens, the questioners tend to confirm what they already suspect. The Intelligent Negotiator gets his or her counterparts to speak, because the more they talk, the more they disclose. You can do this by asking broad, open-ended information-seeking questions that cannot be answered with brief responses. Coming up with questions such as “What do you want/need to get?” “Why are you trying to obtain those terms?” takes some planning. If you suspect there is more to the story than what your counterpart is telling you about a specific topic, try to formulate expansive inquiries covering that area. Your counterpart has no way of knowing exactly what you already know, and—let’s face it—we all make the mistake of assuming that others know more than they actually know. As a result ofyour careful questioning, your counterpart might divulge new pieces of information, often providing leads to other areas of interest. Ask her to explain why she wants particular items. What interests is she seeking to satisfy? What alternatives might satisfy her underlying needs?
    Once you think that you have enough general information, narrow your inquiries. Be certain that you have properly interpreted your counterpart’s responses. Remember to be an active listener. Maintain warm and supportive eye contact with your counterpart. Nod your head while she is speaking. You may also paraphrase what she has just said to confirm what you have heard and to signal your openness to what is being disclosed. This will often lead to further disclosures. It is imperative that you listen and observe carefully. When you are either looking at your own notes or jotting down comments, you miss much of what your opponent is saying—both verbally and nonverbally. You should focus intently on the other side—listening carefully to the exact words she is using and looking for nonverbal signals that may support or contradict what she is saying orally. For example, she may nod her head affirmatively while verbally indicating that she can’t agree to a particular proposal. The head nod suggests that she can accept