"Know yourself and know yourself, and you will win every battle." Only by knowing each other can we have more confidence in winning, which requires throwing stones to ask for directions, inquiring about each other's actual situation, and thus controlling each other's situation. In the negotiation, throwing stones to ask for directions is to analyze the information that is beneficial to you from the other party's statement and understand the reality of the other party, so as to make a decision that is beneficial to you.
Many negotiators have used this method in the negotiation process, but the effect is different because of different personal skills. The explanation of this idiom is that when you arrive at a place in the middle of the night, because you can't see clearly, first throw a stone to test it and see if there is any reaction. The key to test the effect lies in this "stone". If the stone is small, the other party can't feel it and it won't play any role. If the stone is too big, it may affect the atmosphere of the negotiation.
The "stone" we usually choose in negotiations is to ask questions. In different negotiation processes, we should choose different issues. Usually, there are several types of problems.
Ask ordinary questions first. For example; "What do you think of our products?" "Why do you think so?" This kind of question allows the interviewee to answer freely and has a wide range of answers. Sometimes, in addition to answering the question itself, you may inadvertently tell us more information.
Second, ask questions. For example, "Isn't that right?" "Are you dissatisfied with this service?" And so on, this way of asking questions is generally a question asked to the other party in order to get a positive answer after the other party has made a statement. The question itself has a compulsion to the interviewee. Generally, after the other party answers the question affirmatively, he will express his own views, which is also a reference for negotiators.
Third, discuss the problem. For example, "What do you think?" "What do you think of this problem?" This way of asking questions is generally to invite the other party to comment after asking questions, products or programs. Because this way of asking questions is objective, most interviewees will express their opinions.
Fourth, suppose to ask questions. For example, "If ... you would ..." and "If ... you should ..." are a way to ask the other person's choice or opinion after assuming something happens. In negotiation, it can be used to test the degree of concession of the other party. "If I agree to such a condition, what kind of concession will you make?"
Fifth, choose to ask questions. For example, "Do you prefer product A or product B?" This method narrows the choice of customers, also known as closed-ended questioning. In the negotiation, you put forward two options to the other party, and you want the other party to make a choice as soon as possible, so you can use this way of asking questions.
The various questioning methods listed above can be used according to different situations in the negotiation process. Be careful when using it, because some negotiators may have understood your purpose when you ask questions, so that your questions will be used by the other party to control you.
[case study]
Xiao Zhang is a buyer in an enterprise and often has to negotiate with different salesmen. For this reason, he spent a lot of time and bought many books to learn negotiation skills, so he mastered a lot of knowledge. One day, he wanted to buy 10 computers for the company and entered a relatively large computer shop. After a simple understanding, Xiao Zhang asked:
"How much is this configuration of the computer? You give me a firm price and I'll buy it today. "
"The original price of this computer is 3,500 yuan. If you buy it today, you can get a discount of 100 yuan and 3400 yuan. " The salesman said with a smile.
"What if I need 50 sets?" Xiao Zhang continued: The salesman was surprised to hear Xiao Zhang's words, thinking that this must be a big customer, and said excitedly: "I really can't do this. Wait, I'll ask our manager. "
After a while, the salesman ran over and said enthusiastically, "I asked the manager." If you want 50 sets, I can give them to you at an ex-factory price of 3,000 yuan. " After listening to the salesman, Xiao Zhang had a basic idea. If I want 10 sets, 3000 yuan should be able to make a deal with the other party.
Finally, under the negotiation between Xiao Zhang and the salesman, Xiao Zhang insisted on his own 3000 yuan each, and finally the salesman had no choice but to make a deal.
Xiao Zhang finally bought 10 computers at a price of 3000 yuan each. If according to the salesman's request, 50 computers are needed for every 3000 yuan, then this negotiation is undoubtedly successful for Xiao Zhang. Let's analyze his success.
For Xiao Zhang, he used the method of throwing stones to ask for directions. He first found out the prices of 1 set and 50 sets, and then analyzed them. Since the other 50 sets can give a price of 3,000 yuan, customers will definitely accept this price if they buy 10 sets, because although there is a big difference between 10 sets and 50 sets, from the other side's point of view,
For the salesman, the price given by Xiao Zhang must be very low. It can be said that the profit is very thin, but the number of 10 sets is also a big order for himself, and he will never give up easily. Since Xiao Zhang insists on not giving in, it is better to have a profit than no profit, and finally we can only clinch a deal.
This is the advantage of throwing stones to ask for directions, especially in negotiations, which can effectively tap the bottom line of the other side and thus develop in a favorable direction.
[Skillful touch of gold]
The strategy of asking for directions by throwing stones is often used in negotiations. How to make good use of this strategy is very important for every negotiator. In the process of using it, we need to pay attention to several issues:
First, the questions asked must be accurate and appropriate. After you ask questions, you must not make the other party ambiguous or unhappy, and you must ask accurate questions, which will greatly hinder the negotiation process. For example, in such negotiations, the seller and the buyer discussed the delivery time. The seller offered to deliver the goods in June, and only half of them could be delivered. The buyer said to the seller, "You must deliver the goods before April, and it is all the goods, otherwise I will buy from other suppliers." The seller said, "Why did you cancel the contract?" The seller's purpose may only be to find out why the other party wants the goods in June, but the question implies that the other party wants to terminate the contract, which forces the buyer to admit that he wants to terminate the contract. Both parties have some ambiguities about the issue, and the negotiation will naturally fail in the end.
Second, the questions asked should be directional. The purpose of negotiators' asking questions to each other is to detect the real situation of each other and find more information that is beneficial to them. So the questions you ask must have a clear direction, so as to get the information you want as much as possible.
For example, if you want to know each other's views on something, you can ask, "What do you think of this plan?" "Do you have any complaints about this plan?" "What kind of purchasing plan do you have?" And so on, the main content and direction of these problems are fixed. After sending the request, ask the interviewee to answer from this aspect, so as to get the information they need faster and promote the success of the negotiation.
Third, grasp a certain degree. Almost every negotiator has a certain ability. Don't treat each other like fools who don't know anything. This often leads to cleverness being overtaken by cleverness. Whether you ask questions or ask for directions in other ways, you should avoid revealing your true intentions and ask the right questions at the right time. Questions should be coherent, not too sharp or blunt, otherwise it will easily arouse the suspicion of the other party, get no useful information, and may be used by the other party.