This contract tip is about letting your clients set the tone in a negotiation.
It is their negotiation, not yours.
Our clients have their own negotiating styles. Some prefer a direct approach and don't worry about offending the other side. Others like to take a friendlier tone and tread carefully on sensitive topics.
On strategic or complex deals, I usually ask my clients how they want me to interact with the other side.
I can be theatrical and demanding, taking the role of the bad cop and setting my client up to play the nice one.
I can be nice and friendly, using kindness and empathy to bring the two sides together.
Many of my sophisticated clients know exactly what role they want me to play. With my longer-term clients, I've learned over the course of many negotiations.
My natural approach is to be nice and build rapport. I believe my clients are best served in most cases with a friendlier and cooperative approach. But I remember that this is their negotiation, not mine.
I'll never be unethical or act in a way that betrays my personal values. But in the end, I'm here to support my clients. They are my priority. They are in charge.
Do you ever adjust your negotiation approach?
