Dance of Negotiation: The Story of an Exchange that Almost Fell Through

The foundation for any negotiation is the spirit of reciprocity. 

It’s a dance of proffering and receiving.. 

Whenever negotiations come up in client discussions, I always remember the story about an interaction that my father and I had with an insurance officer. 

This was a simple case of my father trying to help one of the workers in his factory. 

She had recently lost her husband, and the group insurance needed to be settled. 

However, there were some procedural delays. 

My dad had to come to Chennai to resolve these delays, so I decided to drive him to the insurance company for this conversation.

The delays were exasperating my father, who was keen to ensure that this worker got paid in such trying times. 

This exasperation led to a lot of indignation in the conversation with the insurance officer. It was so intense that I sensed that the officer was about to leave the discussion. 

That’s when I decided to step in.

At this point, I realized the importance of making the other person comfortable. I smiled and asked if I could take a couple of minutes to set the context for the conversation. 

I explained the situation that led to the untimely death and expressed how the lady worker must be feeling. 

I highlighted that the insurance officer had the ability to ensure timely payout to this woman and asked him with a smile whether he would be motivated to help her.

By showing appreciation and respect, and setting the right context for a request, you can prompt action.

You have to understand the triggers for what the other person is seeking, in this case, it was the validation and respect of his decision-making powers and an opportunity for benevolence.

The insurance officer took it upon himself to consult with various divisional and zonal managers, obtained the necessary approvals, and returned to us.

Resistance is an opportunity in disguise and approaching it with empathy and tact, leads to more powerful outcomes. 

Selling skills are actually life skills.

When used correctly, in the right context and sequence, they can yield higher-order results.

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