While most negotiators pay plenty of attention to negotiating the terms of their negotiations, few think to negotiate the negotiation process. Meanwhile, negotiating the process can have tremendous impact on both the outcome of the negotiation as well as the ongoing relationship between the parties.
All negotiations have two levels of negotiation going on at the same time – one over substance (the dollars, deliverables, scope of work, or whatever else is being discussed) and the other over process. The process refers to “how” we negotiate – the timing, the format, the participants, and all of the other questions relating to the manner in which we negotiate. In most cases, the “process negotiation” happens implicitly – people simply begin negotiating the substance of the negotiation, without explicitly discussing the process that could or should be used. This is a lost opportunity, because a better process can lead to much better substantive outcomes, as well as a savings of time and energy.
So, don’t be afraid to openly and explicitly negotiate the process. Some examples of process questions are:
“what is the best time for us to talk about this?”
“who else should be part of this conversation?”
“should we do this over email, phone, or meet in person?”
“the purpose of this conversation is to accomplish ‘x’ (e.g., formulate ideas to consider, NOT commitments); do you agree?”
