A pleasure of a negotiation

Negotiations exist in industries, non-profit organizations, local markets, and even at home. There are not only many skills and principles of negotiation but also diverse levels and types. Although a negotiation is described as a battle which I absolutely have to win, I have sometimes experienced the pleasure in a negotiation. The reason why the negotiation can give me amusement is because a negotiation is often like an exciting game.

When I first learned what a negotiation is, I thought that the negotiation is very hard to win. The purpose of a negotiation is clearly to gain more advantage, to obtain benefits, not to lose my parts, or to solve my problems. It makes the negotiation harder that my counterpart is also having similar goals in the negotiation.  Absolutely, we should win the big and crucial negotiation like a peace negotiation, an union negotiation, or a hostage negotiation. However, we have continuously participated in trifling matters.

In South Korea, a trifling negotiation is far common in a traditional-local market.  For example, I say hello delightfully to a clerk or manager entering a grocery store. Determining the item I want to buy, I lead a person-to-person talk or wait for the proper time for the talk. In a dialogue, the clerk says “may I help you” and I answer that “how much is the onion” although the price is well-displayed. The clerk says “it is $5 for 10 onions”, and I reply with his brows knitted “oh, it is too expensive” even though I agree that the price is proper. Examining the onions carefully, I complain the a bit rotten part of an onion. Then, I say “let the price $4”, but the clerk refuses my opinion like “no, it is very cheap and good very fresh onions”. Second, I change the plan “then, give me 12 onions for $5”, but the clerk still says no. Finally, I lightly appear the motion leaving the store giving a pause, and I mutter to myself as “I would need it for tomorrow’s dinner”. The clerk or manager unavoidably suggests the alternative one of either $4.5 for 10 onions or 11 onions for $5 because the clerk has invested the time in the negotiation anyway.

TOS (The Other Side) strategy gives a good plan for the successful negotiation.  In this case, I and the clerk know the need with each other. The salesperson wants to take a talk with customer and sell items as a stated price, but he or she has limited time (the salesperson has to sell in the peak time as much as possible). On the other hand, I (customer) would like to buy a good item as a cheaper price. If I have enough time, I have an advantage on the table of a negotiation. Also, I can use the “bad guy/good guy” approach to win the negotiation in this case.

However, the important value of this conversation is the purpose of a pleasure of a negotiation as I mentioned first. Winning the small negotiation, I gain some achievement rather than get one more onion. Though the clerk loses one onion to me, but the store gives me the pleasure and secures a regular customer. This is a win-win result of this negotiation. Hospitality industry also meets numerous customers every day. The pleasure is very attractive motivation for the customers, so it is far meaningful that the marketer thinks the enjoyable event using small negotiations. I believe that a negotiation can be an enjoyable game if it is not related to my life.