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Peter Barron Stark
President
Peter and his team of expert negotiators train leaders, sales professionals and procurement
specialists in the art of negotiation.
Click here to learn more about our programs.
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Tactic #3 - Asking a Closed-Ended Question
Summary: Using a restrictive question to get a direct answer or specific bit of information from a counterpart.
Anytime you are trying to win a concession or gain a deal point in a negotiation, Asking a Closed-Ended Question is a good idea. Closed-ended questions are effective because they are direct and to the point. In contrast, they are not good questions to ask when you are striving to build a relationship or stimulate discussion.
Example
An employee in charge of office supplies asks a saleswoman, “If I can obtain budget approval to purchase two LCD projectors, which would normally incur a combined cost of $2,400, can you get the price with tax under $2,250?”
Counter
The saleswoman might ask why the $2,250 figure is so important to the company’s budget. A second effective counter would be for the saleswoman to inform the employee that she cannot get the two projectors under $2,250, but if the company does not need the metal carrying cases that come standard at the higher figure, the $2,250 figure could be a possibility.
It is critical for the saleswoman to counter the $2,250 figure. If she concedes to the initial offer and sells the two projectors for under $2,250, her counterpart may walk away wondering if he should have offered only $2,000 instead of $2,250.
Do you have any negotiation questions? If so, then send them to us by hitting the "reply" button. We'll do our best to address them in upcoming tactics.
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This tactic is one of 101 strategies and tactics featured in The Only Negotiating
Guide You'll Ever Need, by Peter Stark and Jane Flaherty.
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