Negotiation is a skill that dates back to the beginning of time as we know it and in today’s business environment it is considered a key skill for success in most chosen professional careers. This skill encompasses everyone from the local car dealers to the United States Four Star General. The art of deception; often referred to as the use of deceit is also seen as a skill possessed by many great leaders. It is not as highly respected and valued as negotiating; however, it is still considered a valuable skill in certain environments. Even the great Sun Tzu, author of Art of War, was quoted on the importance of deception, “All warfare is based on deception” and has been used throughout some of the greatest battles in history.
Of the six ways to evaluate information during negotiations discussed in the course textbook; there are four that stand out from rest. First the text refers to establishing trust; however this task may be a difficult one to achieve due to the fact that one party is looking for an advantage over the other. I do agree that shifting the frame plays an important role in negotiation. This step lets both parties know what issues are important to each other. The next step is asking direct questions. Asking direct questions may be important to maintain unambiguous communication, however the issue here is will the answer provided to the question be one of honesty with no deception. Listening carefully can reveal little clues that can reveal deception. Something as simple as a change of volume, a change in pitch or even instant stuttering may be a clue to something being hidden. Paying attention to non-verbal clues are one of the most important hints to detecting deception. Something as simple as a lack of eye contact may reveal that something is being hidden in negotiation. Last but not least is keep records and get things in writing. A good motto to live by in business is, “if it is not written down and recorded you may as well say it never happened.
I can recall a time in my life where it seemed like deception in negotiation was an everyday practice. As a military member stationed overseas, I can recall owning more than 20 cars in less than nine years. Back then, the goal was to buy a car, clean it up and sell it to a younger military member, especially those who had just arrived in the country and did not know better. I can remember telling them they would not find a better deal and if they walked away someone else would buy the car the next day. Overall, the goal was to give myself an advantage in purchasing a better vehicle after every purchase until you had a very nice car. Even though the car had to pass a road worthy and safety inspection, it was common practice not to reveal all the little things that were wrong with the vehicle. On the same note, as I purchase another vehicle after each transaction, I was very aware of the same practice being used on me. It was almost like a game of cat and mouse. It got so bad that someone bought a car, had it painted and tried to sell it to me. Unfortunately the person did not know I owned the car two years earlier. As far as the question of how far you would be willing to go to leverage your position; I would never put someone life in danger by selling an unsafe vehicle. There were also unspoken rules like never sell a vehicle that needed work to a single mom or elderly person.
I think everyone has been part of some type of deception at one point in our lives. We have either been the ones doing the deceiving or we are the ones being deceived. Even to in my later years, I have seen such practices as a retail manager, where I would reduce the price on one item to get a customer to purchase another, knowing the profit was still the same. Even something as overstating your qualifications on a resume to either help in getting a job or increasing pay can be considered deceptive negotiation practices. Yes I am guilty of that in the past. Many people would say it is important educates ourselves on the art of deceptive practices, however if it were than easy we would have eliminated such situation from our live a long time ago.
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