Questioning in Negotiation - Restrictive Questions
March 20th, 2008 |Asking questions, in whatever area of human interaction you are commuting, will always mean that you will find out more than if you give your opinion, and then wait for the other person/s to respond.
Negotiation activities are no different.
On the contrary, negotiation scenarios are often very sensitive and for that reason, it is even more important to use the techniques of question-asking.
In the first instance, questioning shows that you are interested in your counterpart’s point of view.
This will automatically assist in rapport building. There is a saying that, ‘anything is possible in the presence of good rapport.’
This article will deal with Restrictive or closed-ended questions, a later article will address Expansive or open-ended questions.
Restrictive or closed-ended questions usually seek a specific bit of information, and the answer is quite often a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Such questions can serve a number of useful purposes, such as directing the conversation to a desired area, or finding out which direction to avoid.
When asking questions in this manner, you need to be very sensitive with the tonality of your voice and with your body language to ensure that your counterpart doesn’t feel that you are leading her/him towards a certain response.
Another useful purpose of closed-ended questions is that it gains commitment from the other party to a definite position, eg
“If we can meet your needs regarding the price and terms, will you purchase our product today?”
That question simply requires a ‘yes/no response.
Another example:
“You will send the revised quotation to me by Friday, right?”
Again, either a ‘yes/no’.
It is possible for people to ‘fluff ‘ around all sorts of explanations, but the final response is a ‘yes/no’.
Restrictive questions can also be used to break the ice and get a conversation moving forward, eg as someone enters the room, you might say:
“It certainly is a beautiful day today, isn’t it?”
Closed-ended questioning is also helpful when you are trying to gain a deal point or concession from your counterpart, eg you might ask:
“If I am willing to include technical support at no extra cost, would you be willing to pay the full price of $2100 for each laptop?”
In summary, the objective of restrictive or closed-ended questioning is not so much to gain a lot of information as to
- start the conversation
- confirm a deal point
- gain a concession
With each new technique you practise, your communication self-confidence will increase making you a more-effective speaker and communicator.
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
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