Success Negotiating: How to Leave
With More Than What You Wanted

by Anne Warfield

Part Two

Producers

This is probably the best known -- and most feared -- style for negotiation.

Producers are direct, to the point, goal oriented and frequently in a hurry. They think fast, move fast and talk fast. Over the phone, they will be abrupt and cut to the chase. They may well interrupt you.

Their office is usually neat with several strong stamps of personality-golf trophies, work trophies, elegant pictures or statues. They usually dress with an eye to presence or force.

They don't walk into a room, they stride in and offer a strong handshake. They make great eye contact and can almost seem to bore in to you.

Not surprisingly, their hot button is power, and they get power through control.

They tend to shoot straight and not mince words. They want you to give the big picture and they will rapid-fire questions at you to get the answer. They want the best deal possible, and pride themselves on their ability to get what they want or need.

They often enjoy the "game" of negotiating as it stimulates their intellect. They thrive in the negotiation environment.

The good news is you do not need to be mincemeat to succeed with Producers. They are usually not out to eat you up, but they are out to get a good deal.

Realize that this is the one personality style that will not usually take the first deal offered. If you offer them your best deal and refuse to budge, you disappoint them, because you don't give them an opportunity to use their skill.

So offer a good deal, but be prepared to make small concessions.

Let Producers talk first. If you feel boxed in, be direct about it.

For example, you might say, "Look we both want what is best for our companies; that's why we are here. I also realize that neither of us wants to take advantage of the other person. So share with me, why if you were me you would take the deal you just offered."

Make them think from your perspective. They will enjoy the challenge and will often chuckle or back down when you say something like this.

If you are a Connector, then a Producer will be the hardest style for you to negotiate with. Producers will give up personal courtesies (in other words, what is most important to a Connector) in order to "get to the bottom line." They are there to make a deal first and a relationship second.

Be open, direct and call them on their bluffs in a friendly way. Don't try to punch back.

I once had a client call and say they wanted to book me for a speaking engagement but they could only pay 1/3 of my fee. Now, I had been working with this prospect for almost 2 years so I knew she knew our pricing and value, yet she was insistent.

Instead of being angry or trying to justify my pricing, I said, "Look, I know you realize the value of our programs, because you have been working with me for two years. I also realize you might be working with budget constraints. I want to work with you and I also want to be fair to my clients across the country.

"Quite frankly you have stumped me. I am having a hard time rationalizing how to do this event at the pricing we are talking about. Can you brainstorm with me on how we can make this work?"

By using that approach, she never had to defend her offer and I never had to defend my pricing. Instead we took our energy and focused it on how to get the event done. We ended up finding some creative budgeting ideas that made the deal work!

Analyzers

Analyzers tend to be straightforward. They desire accuracy and want the details first … then the big picture.

They generally don't like a lot of chitchat. They want to get to the meat of the discussion. Their office is likely to be bereft of any personal touches, but it will probably feature stacks of data and information.

Over the phone, Analyzers tend to talk slower than the other three groups, and may insert long pauses during the call. They are likely to remain non-emotional during a negotiation.

Their hot button is accuracy and they get this by collecting data. They want to make sure all the facts are in place before they make a decision. They don't like "fluffy" negotiations.

Broad, sweeping statements annoy this person. Give them the facts -- and make sure they add up. Whatever you hand them will be read closely, either on the spot or after you leave.

Analyzers do not like to finalize a negotiation on the spot. They like to be able to mull the decision over and give you an answer by email, letter or phone. They need space in order to make a decision.

If you try to "strong-arm" an Analyzer during negotiations, you will lose.

Remember accuracy is vitally important to this person. They want facts, figures and yes, it does matter if you need fifty widgets rather than fifty-two.

Come armed with as much factual information as possible. If you don't have it, say so up front.

Say, "I realize that you would probably like more information then I actually have on me today. So what I recommend we do during this meeting is find out whether we are in the same ball park to look at speaking further about how we might work together."

Then give the facts you do have and let the Analyzer proceed from there. If you end up working with an Analyzer, always have your information ready before you call or visit.

Analyzers will often focus on what could go wrong, even if it's unlikely to. They may seem to make a mountain out of a molehill. Actually, they are just trying to be accurate.

Appreciate that desire for accuracy; show why the risk is worthwhile, or demonstrate why it's worth taking. Focus on the positive and emphasize "hard numbers."

Putting it all together

Once you start noticing and looking for the personality styles, you will be able to spot them easily.

And once you stop worrying about you and focusing on what the other person is trying to do, negotiations become less about winning and more about connecting.

The bottom line: Make sure you add value to the other person.

This is why it is so important to be able to read the other person's personality style and speak from his or her perspective. If you ignore someone's hot button or try to pull him or her over to your style of communication, you will lose.

Have a game plan and be flexible with it, read the other person effectively, and add value by speaking from the other person's perspective.

If you do this, you will find that negotiations are really "brainstorming sessions" with another party.

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As the leading Outcome Strategist, Anne Warfield shows people how to present their ideas, products and services so people want to listen to them. Her communication formula is easy to apply and produces proven results. Fortune 500 companies around the world have utilized her expertise and her work is published around the world. She speaks internationally about Outcome Focus™ Communication. To book Anne, contact her at 888-imp-9421 or email contact@impressionmanagement.com. Check out her web site at http://www.impressionmanagement.com where you can also take a communication quiz. Purchase her books at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

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