Although a lot of negotiation advice focuses on what to do to get the best deal possible with a negotiation counterpart, it also is important for any negotiator to know when it is in their best interest to walk away from the negotiation table. Equally important, they should know how to walk away in a manner that preserves the ongoing relationship.
Although a lot of negotiation advice focuses on what to do to get the best deal possible with a negotiation counterpart, it also is important for any negotiator to know when it is in their best interest to walk away from the negotiation table. Equally important, they should know how to walk away in a manner that preserves the ongoing relationship.
Put simply, you should consider abandoning your involvement in a negotiation if either of the following conditions is met:
You have an alternative, or back-up plan that doesn’t involve the negotiation counterpart in question, that meets your interests and objectives better than the offer on the table – while this might seem obvious, often negotiators fail to assess what their preexisting back-up plans are, and/or they fail to develop other back-up plans…this can result in feeling that they have no choice other than to accept the terms presented by their negotiation counterpart.
The options offered by the negotiation counterpart do not meet your interests and objectives, AND the counterpart adopts negotiation tactics that are immoral, unfair, rude, or otherwise illegitimate. In this situation you may decide to terminate the negotiation so as not to reward bad behavior, even if your substantive “backup plan” is not as good as what is on the table. Failure to walk away might encourage similar behavior in the future, and compromise your ability to negotiate effectively going forward.
In either circumstance, you should cite your interests as the reasons for your withdrawal from the negotiation. In the first situation, you should tell your counterpart why the deal doesn’t meet your interests well, and perhaps even why your alternatives better meet your needs. In the second, we recommend that you point out all of the steps that you have taken to move the conversation in a productive and creative direction, and all of the counter-productive behaviors that your counterpart has demonstrated. You may also wish to discuss how their needs are better met through a more collaborative approach to the negotiation, and the kind of deal you are putting on the table. Using the language of interests is a good way to ensure that the dialogue remains more objective and productive.
