Negotiations Take Time

Although frustrating for clients trying to resolve their problems quickly, the fact is that most negotiations take time to work. The frustrated client who insists on getting “to the bottom line” quickly sets himself up for the other side undercut that “bottom line.” Because the other side knows early on that you are willing to pay your bottom line number, they try to increase that number by small increments –thereby getting you to slowing agree that if you will pay “X” then why not pay “X+1?” Problem is, in detailed and lengthy negotiations, X doesn’t just go to X+1, but to X+10 or even 2X! So, while the world would be better served by two sides immediately giving their bottom line and seeing if a deal will, or won’t, work, in practice negotiation takes slow developments and small increments (all the while refusing to give up your bottom line) to get where you want to go.