Negotiating Threats
Have you ever been threatened during a negotiation? You probably have received more negotiating threats than you realize. Most often negotiating threats are not of a violent nature during a negotiation. They come in the form of an “or else.”
“Get this to me by Thursday or else I’ll be forced to work with someone else.” “I need to get the contract signed today or else you’ll be last in line for shipment.” “Drop your price by 5% or else I will go with your competitor.”
Negotiation, by its very nature, involves a degree of threat. Rewards can be withheld or punishment inflicted by a deadlock. Deadlock constitutes an ever-present threat.
During the course of a negotiation you may be tempted to make a threat, or probably more likely, you’ll receive a threat. Look at it this way. Negotiating threats are a form of concession. In effect, the threat says, “If you stop doing what you are doing, I will concede by waiving my power to punish you.” A threat puts the burden of proper action on the person being threatened. The other person suddenly become the master of their own fate.