Negotiating with whatever hard it can be berserk or berserk. If you are upset when negotiating against tough negotiators (hard nose), inconsistent negotiators (say one thing and do another) and / or with those with whom you are very close (friends, associates), you may have a Devil of a time negotiating with those people and still win.

The following are tips, tactics, and techniques you can use when negotiating in situations that may be diabolical.

Advice:

When negotiating with friends, the negotiation can be devilish because you may not want to risk the friendship due to a difficult negotiation. This, in turn, may cause you to access requests that you would not otherwise commit to.

Negotiation advice: When negotiating with friends, close associates, or those who value the relationship more than the outcome of the negotiation, lay the groundwork for the negotiation in advance. This is something you would normally do when framing the negotiation (setting the agenda for what will be discussed). With people who fall into the aforementioned categories, take extra care in framing the negotiation by informing your friend or associate that you really don’t want to be involved in a give-and-take, because it adds more value to the relationship. Therefore, you do not want any harm to happen to you. You can also jokingly say, “… and I don’t want you to take advantage of me either.” With the negotiation stage set from that perspective, both of you should be able to negotiate amicably and do so while preserving the relationship. By framing the negotiation from this perspective, you have removed the potential devil from the negotiation.

Tactic:

I will talk about two tactics you can employ when negotiating with someone who is tormenting you. One is reflecting, the other appears to be led while leading, or leading from behind. These two tactics are closely linked to each other.

Employ the tactic of mirroring or leading from behind by mimicking the requests, actions, and tactics of the other negotiator. If you are being devilish in negotiation, you will quickly recognize that you are replicating your actions. This will have one of two effects on him. First, you will find that a very long negotiation awaits you which could be a waste of time, as long as you stick to your negotiating tactic. Two, he will recognize the devil in you and change his tactics. In any case, you will have altered their perspective, which will be to your advantage.

Techniques:

When negotiating with someone who uses tough techniques (I win, you lose), play hard (don’t give anything unless you get something of value). With this personality type, if you show weakness, you will most likely be treated like a lamb and taken to the slaughterhouse.

While negotiation can be daunting, if the purpose of the negotiation is worth it, stay engaged. Look at the time you spend negotiating. The more time you invest, the more likely you are to stay committed to the conclusion of the negotiation. Doing so could cause you to make concessions that are not beneficial to your position.

You may not be able to turn all your demonic negotiations into angels, but by adopting the above suggestions, you can make your negotiations more heavenly … and all will be well in the world.

Remember, you are always negotiating!