Deadlock is to dealmakers what cliffhangers are to TV couch
potatoes. Frustrating yet compelling, impasses challenge each
side's negotiating maturity, skill and acumen. In some ways,
they're the ultimate test of how good you really are at the
bargaining table.
While there's no single sure-fire way to bust a stalemate,
here are a few techniques to consider the next time you think
you're "stuck":
1. Take a timeout. Bona fide deadlock is stressful.
Usually, there's a lot at stake, nerves are frayed, rapport is
eroded and each side is anxious about the outcome. So start with
the obvious. Take a walk, get a bite to eat or get some sleep.
Everyone needs a break. It'll reduce the tension and help put
things back in perspective.
Content Continues Below
2. Get creative. An impasse is a problem for both
sides. For a moment at least, stop nagging, haranguing and cajoling
your opponent. Transcend your own interests and pose this question
instead: "What are all the possible ways we can solve
this problem?" Then, brainstorm together. When each
side tries to find a good solution to the other's problem,
everyone's likely to come out a winner.
3. Slow down. It could soften the other side in two ways.
First, they might take it as a signal that you're losing
interest; they may relent just to keep you talking. Second, if your
opponents have been concealing their own deadline, slowing down
will make them nervous. There's a good chance they'll make
concessions to get the deal done.
4. Crack a joke. In the 1950s, Ford Motor Co.'s
senior management deadlocked over how to cut costs. The company had
already shut down several plants, but its accountants demanded
more. Executives met-and stalemated. Their mood was as serious as a
heart attack, until one of them joked, "Why don't we close
down all the plants and then we'll really start to save
money?" The room exploded with laughter. The impasse was
broken.
5. Go up the ladder. Get to the actual decision-maker.
Companies negotiate through a cadre of executives. An individual
entrepreneur may use a lawyer or other professional. When talks bog
down, ask the principals for input. If they're effective,
they'll cut through the stalemate and get things moving
again.
6. Change negotiators. Personality conflicts can thicken
the air. Prolonged bargaining can wear anyone out. Repetitive
discussions can give participants severe cases of myopia. Bring in
some fresh blood. New participants have a much better chance of
seeing the forest for the trees.
7. Set up a meeting. Any sizable deal (especially the big
ones) will be hashed out by teams on each side. The more people
involved, the greater the chance for disorganization and
miscommunication. Put everyone in the same room and, hopefully,
you'll put everyone on the same page.
8. Ask King Solomon. Bring in a third-party authority. It
could be an expert with new information or a mediator to facilitate
discussion. You can even appoint an arbitrator and give him or her
the final word on the deal. In any case, new players usually bring
new ideas and solutions.
9. Flip a coin. Well, maybe-I've never tried it, but
I don't see why not. It works well enough on the playing field.
Perhaps there are times it can work just as well at the bargaining
table!
10. Walk away. High-minded exhortations aside,
negotiation is just a game of chicken, and deadlock is simply a
tactic to make you flinch. If the deal isn't working, walk
away. One of two things will happen: The other side will cave, or
you'll be on to your next opportunity. Either way, you'll
be better off.
A speaker and attorney in Los Angeles, Marc Diener is the author of
Deal Power: 6 Foolproof Steps to Making Deals of Any Size (Owl
Books/Henry Holt).