of leaving the negotiations with their dignity intact. The red carpet play would also work here.
The tank
This is a very common behaviour model, and it’s pretty self-explanatory: the ‘tank’ is a confident person, but not a courteous one. Our society often approves of this behaviour, and as a result tank-ish behaviour is precisely what many strive for. So what sort of behaviour are we talking about? Well, a ‘tank’ is typically guided by their interests and their interests alone. Others’ interests mean absolutely nothing.
But there’s no hiding it, ‘tanks’ do achieve great success in life, and negotiation, of course, is no exception. So it should come as no surprise that this behaviour model is often used in negotiation. More than that, it’s often very successful. It doesn’t even stand comparison to the ‘mouse’: the latter comes out far too unfavourably, and the success of ‘tank’-style negotiators is exaggerated even more in contrast.
However, there is one serious downside to this model: it is angled towards instant results, not on aligning strategic relationships.
The executives of a supplier (S) and client (C) have come to an agreement regarding the rollout of a new accounting system. The deadlines and budgets for the project have been set out, but the functionality required (the scope of the work) has yet to be finalised.
A deadline is approaching, and S asks C to review the schedule, to which C replies: ‘We’re sick of this! First you start the work, and only then do you start your grumbling.’
S: But listen, we just want to update our agreement.
C: You’re just swindlers and frauds.
S: Wait, what are you suggesting?
C: Well, that’s how you’re behaving – that’s your style of work!
S: But we’re just trying to—
C: YOU! YOU’RE TRYING? Don’t make me laugh, you gold-diggers!
The client in this example is behaving like an archetypal ‘tank’. It’s all about them. Nothing else matters.
What can you do when you meet a ‘tank’?
An experienced negotiator will say: even a ‘tank’ gets their comeuppance every now and then. There are three strategies for dealing with a negotiator who has adopted this apparently fail-safe behaviour model.
1. The ‘two dogs’ strategy. You have to prove that you’re stronger.
2. Don’t encourage your opponent’s behaviour. Meet toughness with softness and in doing so disorient them.
3. Use a burst of ‘breakthrough force’ at the right moment. If you’re being pulled into a whirlpool, don’t flounder and tire yourself out: gather strength, and then give a strong burst of kicking.
When choosing your strategy, it is essential to first evaluate which of you is the stronger party. Here it is very important to make a sober evaluation of your strengths and potential and an adequate forecast of the outcome of the fight. If you are stronger, then it is entirely possible that if you enter combat using the ‘two dogs’ strategy, you will come out on top.
An audience member once told me the following story.
He had recently acquired a plot of land near Moscow with an area of 1,712m2. Before making the deal, the sales manager at the vendor company, Marina, sent him a site plan for the plot, on which it was stated that the total land area was 1,701m2. When questioned about the inconsistency in the figures, Marina assured him that the figure on the plan was a mistake, that they would correct it and that everything would be fine.
My audience member checked every single one of the sales documents to ensure the correct figure was given throughout. Having done that, he felt comfortable signing the contract, and the documents were sent for registration. Marina assured him that he would have the correct plan within a week.
A week later, after following up on the as-yet-unsent documents, he got a ‘What’s the hurry?’ in reply. He grinned and bore this none-too-courteous response. Ten days later, the plan arrived in the post. When he opened it, there it was again: 1,701m2.
Back to the negotiating table. His phone call to Marina went like this:
‘Marina, I’ve been sent the old plan again.’
‘And? It’s a simple mistake.’
‘Marina, do you understand how this looks?’
‘Hey, why are you getting so stressed out? Like I said, it was a simple mistake.’
‘Marina, when will I get the correct plan?’
‘Our specialist is off sick at the moment, but once he’s better we’ll send it to you.’
‘OK, please put me through to your manager.’
‘He isn’t going to speak to you.’
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
