You are a key accounts negotiator for a soft drinks firm and have just been told by the chief buyer of the country’s largest supermarket chain that you must cut your prices by a penny a case or they will drop your brand. They sell 12,000,000 cans of your Cola Pop a year. Do you:
- Smile and say, ‘no’?
- Agree?
- Suggest a compromise?
James and John were in a meeting in which James was criticizing John’s departmental sales performance. James read out the month’s sales figures and quoted sales of 500. John noticed that James had not taken account of export sales, which would bump the figure up to 850. Should John interrupt James?
- Yes?
- No?
Do you see negotiating as being about:
- A fair and equal transaction?
- Compromising?
- Making a joint decision that meets as many of her and your interests as possible?
Further Discussion Questions
- Can you tell us about a time that you criticized or were criticized by a colleague?
- Would you be okay with a negotiation that greatly profits you but makes little profit for your adversary?