Can asking questions really be the answer?
You know you’ve done this:
Sat in a meeting daydreaming of any place you would rather be. You were “sort of” listening to what the other person was saying, but you surely were not paying attention to the content of the words. Whoever was speaking sounded just like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Nothing in that meeting got accomplished.
Now what if that person were asking you questions? You hopefully would have listened AND paid more attention. Even Charlie Brown paid attention when the questions came his way!
I could probably stop here – as I’m sure you’ve gotten my point. But let’s delve into this a bit more, because on average there are very few people out there that are good at negotiations. Why?
People fail at the negotiation table more often than not because they don’t ask enough questions. TWEET THIS.
So what types of questions should you ask during a negotiation scenario?
Well, a lot depends on the situation of course so I can’t give you specifics but I can give you the strategy!
- Ask open ended questions – those that can’t be answered by a yes or a no. You want to encourage a dialogue. The key is to get the other person talking yet still have control of the situation. Remember to listen AND pay attention to their answers.
TIP: Pretend you are a reporter – they ALWAYS use open ended questions. (At least the good ones do!) Reporters use words such as : Who, What, Why, Where and How. Be careful – to many “Why” questions might put the other person on the defensive!
- Reply to an answer with another question! Now you don’t want to drag this on for years – but do so until you really know what the person’s PAIN points are. You want to know what is really going on with the other person – what does he/she really need from you.
- There is a time for closed ended questions – when you want something acknowledged. For instance, you are 99.9% sure you know the answer to the question, but never ever assume. Simply ask – “So Tom, just confirming that we are shipping 10,000 widgets to your Dubai location by June 1, 2015, yet the billing will go to your office here in the states?” Tom – “Yes, Joe, that is correct”.
The key to negotiating successfully is to really understand what your other party needs. It has to be a win-win. Don’t assume, ask open ended questions and confirm the deal with a close ended question.
Need help with your negotiating skills? A 10 minute conversation will let you know if Sandler Training is a fit.
Susan Powers
Partner & Certified Trainer
Learn more about Sue at http://www.linkedin.com/in/susangpowers
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