When You Shouldn’t Negotiate

There are times when you should avoid negotiating. In these situations, stand your ground and you’ll come out ahead.

When you’d lose the farm:

 

If you’re in a situation where you could lose everything, choose other options rather than negotiate.

When you’re sold out:

 

When you’re running at capacity, don’t deal. Raise your prices instead.

When the demands are unethical:

 

Don’t negotiate if your counterpart asks for something you cannot support because it’s illegal, unethical, or morally inappropriate – for example, either paying or accepting a bribe. When your character or your reputation is compromised, you lose in the long run.

 

When you don’t care:

 

If you have no stake in the outcome, don’t negotiate. You have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

When you don’t have time:

 

When you’re pressed for time, you may choose not to negotiate. If the time pressure works against you, you’ll make mistakes, you give in too quickly, and you may fail to consider the implications of your concessions. When under the gun, you’ll settle for less than you could otherwise get.

When they act in bad faith:

 

Stop the negotiation when your counterpart shows signs of acting in bad faith. If you can’t trust their negotiating, you can’t trust their agreement. In this case, negotiation is of little or no value. Stick to your guns and cover your position, or discredit them.

When waiting would improve your position:

 

Perhaps you’ll have a new technology available soon. Maybe your financial situation will improve. Another opportunity may present itself. If the odds are good that you’ll gain ground with a delay, wait.

When you’re not prepared:

 

If you don’t prepare, you’ll think of all your best questions, responses, and concessions on the way home. Gathering your reconnaissance and rehearsing the negotiation will pay off handsomely. If you’re not ready, just say “no.”

Source: J. Conrad Levinson, Mark S. A. Smith, Orvel Ray Wilson, Guerrilla Negotiating: Unconventional Weapons and Tactics to Get What You Want (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999), pp. 22-23.