| Counter one of the classic negotiating gambits by | | | | In the audiobook, "Sound Advice on Negotiating |
| addressing it directly. | | | | Skills," author Roger Dawson says that when |
| You've assembled a brilliant sales proposal for a | | | | buyers use good guy - bad guy, they are |
| new client and when you arrive to the meeting to | | | | counting on the salesperson being drawn to the |
| hammer out the final details, you suddenly find | | | | good guy. Psychologically, the salesperson wants |
| yourself sitting across the table negotiating with | | | | to please him or her by making concessions. |
| two people. One is a person with whom you've | | | | The solution, says Dawson - a renowned speaker |
| had contact during the sales process; the other is | | | | and author of the book, "Secrets of Power |
| new - a purchasing agent. | | | | Negotiating" - is to "counter their tactic by letting |
| The former is characteristically warm, gracious, | | | | them know that you realize what they're doing. |
| and quite friendly to your proposal. The latter is | | | | It's such as well known negotiating tactic that |
| hard-nosed, aloof, and completely opposed to | | | | when you say to them, 'Oh come on, you're not |
| nearly every one of your positions. They are | | | | going to play good guy, bad guy with me, are |
| playing the classic negotiating tactic of 'good guy - | | | | you?' they become embarrassed they were |
| bad guy.' | | | | caught and will back off. |