Truth 12. Signal your BATNA
You may have noticed a BATNA-related Catch-22: “I can’t tell the truth without being totally duped, and I can’t lie without suffering moral-strategic-legal costs. What exactly do you advise?”
To make matters worse, counterparties often ask you about your BATNA directly. “Do you have any offers yet?” Similarly, a homebuyer asks home sellers, “Any action on your home?” And a vendor might bait a procurement director with, “Do you have another source for this product?”
So, what should you do when hit with a “What’s-your-BATNA” question?
First, there are two things you shouldn’t do:
▪ Don’t ignore the question and hope it will go away. It won’t.
▪ Don’t turn the question around by saying, “I’ll show you mine if you show ...
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