Have you observed how good negotiators absolutely spin their points and counterpoints to win more negotiations? You can do the same when you negotiate in solo and team environments in which all of the negotiators are not at the negotiation table (i.e. negotiating behind the scenes). All you have to do is understand the principals of spin and how to employ it.
To increase your negotiation outcomes in solo environments and when all of the opposing negotiators are not known (i.e. not at the negotiation table), incorporate the following insights and spin your negotiations to higher outcomes.
Negotiation Spin is the perspective you place on any aspect of the negotiation to give it an appeal that favors your position. It can be an opponent’s point or yours. It’s also a way to gain influence during the negotiation and have a point viewed as being more acceptable, as long as it supports your position.
The following are a 7 ways to utilize negotiation spin.
- Make the other negotiator the foil to his supporters/backers (i.e. those not at the negotiation table). This can be accomplished by making him appear to be out of alignment with their positions/perspectives.
- Understand the vulnerabilities of the other negotiator. To understand an opponent’s vulnerabilities, you must understand his network. That entails understanding the level of communications that occurs in the network, the key figures in the network, and what they deem important for the network. Once you’ve made that discovery, you’ll have insight as to what and how to spin content.
- Disrupt the other negotiator’s energy. Seek ways to constantly attack his position as being out of the mainstream and spin his position as being unreasonable. Do this to wear him down and to disallow him from going on the offensive.
- To create a rift between your opponent’s position and his supporters/backers, spin his positions as being more beneficial to your supporters. Be doing so you’ll weaken his negotiation position as viewed by those that support him; they’ll wonder on whose behalf he’s really negotiating.
- Use spin strategies that will back your opponent into a corner and/or leave him with less than stellar options (e.g. a leading politician threatened to hold a competing event the same night as a major debate. He also planned to give proceeds from his event to an entity that was beloved.)
- Spin your positions to be more appealing to the logic of the majority. The more you and your position(s) appear to be aligned with the masses, the less appealing will be the other negotiator’s positions.
- Once you have spun the opposing negotiator’s positions as being intangible be temperamental and incontinent. Don’t allow him to frame your positions by negatively spinning them.
When using spin in your negotiations do so when appropriate and as needed. You should not overuse this tactic or be haphazard with it. The purpose of doing the above is to make the other negotiator appear weak, out of touch with reasonableness, and to place him in an untenable position from which it’s difficult to negotiate. If nothing else, you’ll improve your negotiation position while weakening his … and everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!