Easy Negotiation Techniques

Questioning in Negotiation - Expansive Questioning

The more you curb your natural desire to talk and expound what you know and think, and ask questions, the more you will be informed of how another person thinks and is responding to a situation.

This article deals with expansive or open-ended questions while negotiating.

Expansive question techniques often begin with:

• who

• what

• where

• when

• how

• why

Starting a question with these question words leads your counterpart away from any specific direction.

S/he must open up and detail what position s/he is taking, likes and dislike.

Thus, open-ended questions in negotiation are more productive in revealing your counterpart’s objectives, needs, wants, and current situation.

Oft-times the desired end results is revealed such as the negotiation range.

Expansive questions in negotiation are very effective when you want to uncover your counterpart’s negotiation behavioural style.

It is easier to control your behavioural responses with simple ‘yes/no’ answers, but more detailed responses may reveal such emotional states as agitation, contempt, anger, confusion, and feelings of decreased self-confidence and insecurity, of being out of your depth.

Open-ended questions tend to provide a window into your counterpart’s mind.

Here are some typical open-ended questions:

• “How do you feel about moving to a new office before Christmas?”

• “You seem to be unhappy with my offer. What seems to be the problem?”

• “Why do you feel that the price is too high?”

• “What type of warranty comes with this laptop?”

• “When people have returned this product, what sorts of complaints or problems have been reported?”

You tend to use these two types of questioning methods, restrictive or closed-ended questioning and expansive or open-ended questioning without deliberate thought in daily conversations.

The value is in being aware of how you are expressing yourself, asking questions with volition, deliberately, especially in negotiating so that you are not taken unawares by your counterpart.

This is true in all aspects of your life, if you are alert, awake and not operating in a trance, you are in the present, and are therefore in control of your life, both personal and professional.

Gloria M Hamilten is a recognized authority in disciplines within Personal Development and People Skills for Business Professionals, such as Time Management, Negotiation Skills, Developing High-Performance Teams, Assertion Skills, Building International Rapport, Conflict Management and Resolution, Presentation and Platform Skills, and in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

She has her own training business, and conducts courses for Organizations, Sporting groups and Tertiary Educational Institutions in Australia.

Her professional experience covers over 30 years of study, research, one-on-one coaching, group coaching, presentations and workshops. Her clientele includes children as well as adults.

Gloria Hamilten has authored the eBook: “Practical Self-Hypnosis for Success” and many Reports and online articles.

Her websites provide a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything within these genres. Visit her websites:

http://www.connect4results.com

http://neuro-linguistic-pro-site.com

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

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