INKED

15The Seven Disruptive Emotions

Suppose that two emotionless robots were negotiating a deal. How would they would proceed? The two computers would gather and crunch all the readily available data. Then, out of all the possible outcomes, they would compute the most logical, reasonable, and equitable outcome for both parties.

That’s how robots negotiate, and it is how humans think they negotiate—on logic and reason. Don’t believe me? Just ask them.

But it’s not how humans actually negotiate. Robots lead with logic and reason because it’s all they have to work with. Humans lead with emotion, because it’s how we work. It’s simple neuroscience and exactly why humans are so incredibly predictable. We feel, then we think.

Human emotion has a profound impact on each party in the negotiation—even for the people in procurement and purchasing who sometimes act like robots. It adds an infinite set of variables to sales negotiations, which is why very few human-negotiated outcomes are truly logical, reasonable, and equitable.

For you, the sales professional, negotiation can push you to the edge of emotional extremes. Your disruptive emotions are your Achilles’ heel in sales negotiations. Unmanaged, they betray you, make you weak, cause you to lose self-control, and put you at a disadvantage with buyers who have been professionally trained to master their emotions when negotiating with salespeople.

Disruptive emotions produce destructive behaviors that fog focus, cloud situational awareness, ...