During negotiations, subliminal messages have a huge impact on the flow and outcome of the negotiation. Thus, the use of subliminal messages determine the degree you’ll win or lose the negotiation.
The following are ways that you can enhance the outcomes of your negotiation by using subliminal messages to appear submissive, encouraging, and/or challenging.
Submissive:
There are times in a negotiation when your strategy will call for you to be submissive. During such times to enforce that perception use softer words to enhance that image. From a subliminal perspective, if you disagree with the other negotiator’s point offer or perspective, instead of saying, ‘I disagree with your position, you might say, “what other opinions might you offer?”. By couching your response in this manner, you don’t appear to be challenging nor threatening. All you’re doing is seeking more insight and asking the opposing negotiator to provide that insight. You’re still allowing him to maintain his leader position, which is the appearance you wish to project because you’re casting a submissive position.
Encouraging:
In some negotiations, it will behoove you to give the subliminal impression that you’re either projecting or the recipient of the halo effect. If you’re the one upon which the halo effect is to be cast, position yourself as someone that has facts and figures that sustain your perspective (offer/counteroffers). This will subliminally state, others have another perspective, versus you’re wrong.
If your negotiation strategy calls for encouragement of the other negotiator, pose your subliminal messaging as that of an oracle (i.e. someone that’s wise and all-knowing) that sees him in the same light. Once the other negotiator accepts your positioning, gently lead him upon the path you’ve set for the negotiation. He’ll oblige you because, subliminally, he’ll feel compelled to follow, due to the subliminal similarities he senses you share.
Challenging:
When challenging your negotiation opponent be cautious as to how you do so. There are degrees to which you challenge someone that will cause them to have different reactions. In one case, you can invoke the appearance of a higher authority, which could give the subliminal impression that power resides with another source. That could be a soft challenging position.
In another case, you might cite accepted studies or positions that are contrary to the opposing negotiator. Subliminally, the message is, “you’re not aligned with the general consensus on this point”. That might be a medium position (Note the similarity this positioning has to the one mentioned in ‘Encouraging’ (i.e. same subliminal messaging applied across different domains)).
In a case where you want to appear obtrusive and extremely confrontational, you might make a pronouncement of, “you’re an idiot!” With such a pronouncement you’re setting the negotiation environment on its ear. The subliminal message in that case is, you don’t care about being amenable, you’re irritated, and the negotiation may be headed for an impasse if the opposing negotiator doesn’t modify his actions (offers/counteroffers).
In a negotiation, words have meanings and the subliminal meanings can give a deeper definition to the words. Consider how you’ll enhance your win rate during your negotiations by using subliminal messages. Crafted properly, subliminal messages will light a path to more winning negotiations for you … and everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!