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How do you handle the negotiation if your counterpart is telling lies (for example that he got a better offer from your competitor)?

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Question added by Ibrahim Hussein Mayaleh , Sales & Business Consultant and Trainer , Self-employed
Date Posted: 2015/07/05
Deleted user
by Deleted user

Introduce bargaining in all honesty producers

My reputation in the market because the task

Vinod Jetley
by Vinod Jetley , Assistant General Manager , State Bank of India

Tell him that you will get back & let him cool his heels.

Arz Alam
by Arz Alam , Area Program Manager , Danish Refugee Council

First when you are in a negotiation, you should already have an idea who your competitors are, and have enough information on them, so when you face this kind of situation where you counterpart is telling lies, by giving him proves that you still have the best offer by showing him what are your key advantages over your competitors and showing him what he will gain.

Deleted user
by Deleted user

 

Hello Ibrahim,

 

 

 

I would ask you first how you knew that your counterpart is telling lies.

 

 

 

Being straight forward and calling him or her on the lie he or she has told is the best practice, but also remember that he or she could get offended, become defensive, or think that he or she have lost the negotiation because they were caught not telling the truth. So what I do is that I immediately neutralize the situation and let them know that the negotiation is still open and I am willing to continue with it.

Akis Gabrielides
by Akis Gabrielides , Marketing & Business Development Director , D. Nicolaou & Sons Ltd

This is standard practice. A key element in negotiations is BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiated agreement). By giving a strong BATNA (true or false) may give the buyer the ability to get a better price.

If you are% sure your counterpart is lying then you may give them a final price (take or leave) or try to sweeten the deal by adding some tangible or non-tangible extras, like reliability of service, guarantee etc (product dependant).

If you are not% sure they are lying and don't want to lose the deal then you can give a better price or better terms or both. Negotiations are always tricky. Personally as a buyer i just stall such negotiations. Keeping the door open and renegotiating frequently without closing the door until i get the deal i want. 

Duncan Robertson
by Duncan Robertson , Strategy Consultant , Duncan Robertson Consultancy

Claiming that you've had a better offer from a competitor is hardly lying, it's just the the kind of thing people say in negotiations.  It's always a pleasure to hear it, because it gives you an advantage.  For a start, it tells you that you are dealing with somebody who isn't very good at negotiating.  Secondly, it gives you a golden opportunity to extract information from them, for example by asking for details of the deal they claim they have been offered.

 

There are also standard replies you can give.  One possible one is along the lines of, "They are cheaper?  So you really want a much lower quality product? I'm afraid we only sell good quality things."

 

In the end, it's all irrelevant.  You know what price you'd like, and what price you'd settle for, and that isn't changed by whatever the counterpart says.  Anything they can't prove on the spot is just "negotiation speak". 

 

Never humiliate your counterpart.  Always remain calm and professional, and never take it personally. 

Selma Sabir
by Selma Sabir , Independent sales representative , Freelance

     You don't have the luxury to lose your cool nor your confidence. The trick here is you can never ever call them on their lies even if you are sure of it but as long as you know what you do and you can manipulate your face to net let doubt or any negative emotion show (it will come with experience) and use your confidence to your advantage, you'll be able to play well your cards. Tell them that if you were in their place and got a better offer you'll not be wasting time with other competitors, you'll go for it.

 

      I, of course, don't speak from theory. Along time ago, I was with my mom in two separate occasions to buy something. The first time, she cut the price to almost half and threatened to go to someone else who sell the same thing even if we weren't sure about it and the guy yielded. The second time, the guy said if you find this same thing with this same quality and a lower price, just go for it and we bought from him without wasting time looking somewhere else.

 

Georges Aref Chaoul
by Georges Aref Chaoul , Business Unit Director - Consumer Services , Kaizen Asset Management Services

To negotiate we should prepare all our tools, the most important tool is to well know our competitors. So if we are well prepared, we are on the safe and strong side. Thank You.

Katarina Kondulova
by Katarina Kondulova , Senior Sales Support Manager , United Aviation Services FZCO

In this case, I would ask the client to advise how far I am from the offer of my competitor. I do not need to get exact numbers, therefore percentage is sufficient. This allows me to compare the second offer with the cost on the market. If the offer is extremely impressive, it is usually fake number which either given just to close the case, or does not include all services. In such scenarios, I prefer to have the cost form various suppliers if possible. This gives a guidance especially if the client comes back with negative feedback towards my offer.

Faizal mohammediqbal
by Faizal mohammediqbal , Accounting , Future way

we need to convince the counterpart.  doing business is a long term relation with the customer as well as the suppliers , but for an immediate benefit that will affect the business relation. we have an open policy to our customers( internal and external), there is no adjustments in that policy. 

so that we can offer the best for all in a similar manner.

 

Shivinder Singh
by Shivinder Singh , Head of Operations , Balaji Foodchains Consultancy & Services Private Limited

First offer them a offer they can not refuse and then delay to a point where they will agree to your new offer. 

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