Skip to Content
The Elements of Negotiation
book

The Elements of Negotiation

by Keld Jensen
August 2024
Beginner
336 pages
7h 29m
English
Wiley
Audiobook available
Content preview from The Elements of Negotiation

ELEMENT 55Stalling

Imagine you're in the final stages of a contract negotiation. Everything appears settled, the terms outlined clearly. Suddenly, the other party queries, “Is this your best offer?” Despite your belief that you've met all their demands, this question throws you off balance. You respond with uncertainty, seeking clarification, but the other party merely sets another meeting for a later date, leaving you in a state of doubt and confusion.

The Art of Stalling: A Calculated Move

Stalling, or intentionally delaying decision-making in negotiations, is a common tactic. It can manifest as postponing a conclusion, introducing new alternatives, or insisting on additional documentation. The reasons for stalling vary—from hoping the other party lowers their demands to creating time for gathering information or examining other options.

Recognizing and Responding to Intentional Stalling

When stalling is a deliberate strategy, it aims to strengthen the staller's position. It might involve avoiding conflict resolution, putting time pressure on the opponent, or creating uncertainty to elicit a better offer. You might notice it when the other party dwells on trivial details, postpones decisions, or hints at a more favorable offer in the future.

The Risks and Countermeasures of Tactical Stalling

Tactical stalling can backfire, leading to missed opportunities or being perceived as noncommittal. Counter it by applying pressure, waiting out the other party when advantageous, ...

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

Read now

Unlock full access

More than 5,000 organizations count on O’Reilly

AirBnbBlueOriginElectronic ArtsHomeDepotNasdaqRakutenTata Consultancy Services

QuotationMarkO’Reilly covers everything we've got, with content to help us build a world-class technology community, upgrade the capabilities and competencies of our teams, and improve overall team performance as well as their engagement.
Julian F.
Head of Cybersecurity
QuotationMarkI wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.
Addison B.
Field Engineer
QuotationMarkI’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.
Amir M.
Data Platform Tech Lead
QuotationMarkI'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.
Mark W.
Embedded Software Engineer

You might also like

Leader's Guide to Negotiation, The

Leader's Guide to Negotiation, The

Simon Horton
Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations

Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory

Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781394248285Purchase Link