Do you fall prey to emotional traps during negotiations?

Negotiators often wear their game face, hiding their true emotions behind a mask of neutrality. Yet, these emotions, like anger or frustration, can be powerful drivers influencing the negotiation process.

In this piece, we’ll dissect the role emotions play in negotiations and how understanding them can give you an edge. You’ll learn how to: Read emotional cues and use them to gauge the other party’s commitment and sincerity. Stay composed when faced with emotionally charged tactics.

“Emotions are not the enemy of rationality but a necessary element that, when acknowledged and managed, can lead to more meaningful negotiations.” By embracing emotional intelligence in negotiations, you can ensure that emotions are not a trap but a tool for success. Let’s see how…

During my early days as a procurement lead my manager called me for a feedback discussion. He brought up the topic of an email I had sent to a supplier appreciating their efforts to solve a critical issue at site. He was not happy with this communication and informed me that as procurement leaders we should never convey appreciation and vulnerability. We need to mask these emotions with general dissatisfaction and a bit of anger to ensure they do not leverage these incidents during future negotiations.

Has someone tried to extract a larger pie from you with a display of emotions?

This is one hard bargaining technique we all need to be aware of. The next time you find the other party not displaying emotions in sync with the situation, be mindful of giving away any further concessions. Or have there been times when you felt the necessity to cover up vulnerability to ensure not being exploited? These are tough situations during negotiations. Dynamic decisions need to be taken on the amount of information to be disclosed.

Trust and emotional intelligence play an important part in shaping these discussions. Is there a possibility to unmask these emotions, create a mature playing field and work towards win-win outcomes? Write in or call us to know more, looking forward.