Negotiate Without Fear

8Say It, Don't Send It

One of the biggest sources of fear in a negotiation is that the other side will walk away. People fear that if this happens, they will lose the ability to secure a deal and end with an impasse rather than an agreement. As we said in Chapter 6, this fear often causes people to make the mistake of allowing the other side to make the first offer, but you know that you want to make the first offer. Chapter 7 highlighted how you can lead the negotiation and reduce your fear of losing the deal by providing multiple offers instead of a single offer.

In this chapter, I will underscore the importance of selecting the right channel of communication to convey your multiple offer. You will learn why I always encourage my clients to “say it, don't send it,” and why seeking synchronicity in a negotiation allows you to take the fear out of the interaction by reducing the likelihood that the other side will walk away.

Negotiate in a Synchronous Channel

You should strive to negotiate in a synchronous channel, not an asynchronous channel. Synchronous channels for communication include face-to-face meetings, speaking on the telephone, and meeting together on a virtual channel such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoogleMeet, or your other favorite platform that lets you see the other side as you speak. On the other hand, asynchronous communication takes place through channels such as e-mail, voicemail, text messages, and sending a proposal.

Take the Fear Out of Making ...