how to use disbelief and strategic 'flinches' in negotiations€¦ · how to use...
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10.13007/421
Ideas for Leaders #421
How to Use Disbelief and Strategic
'Flinches' in Negotiations
Key Concept
Making the first offer is usually considered to be anadvantage in negotiations, but responding to a firstoffer with a measured ‘flinch’ can be just as effectivein leading to an eventual win — but it must bemeasured “I am disappointed in this offer” as opposedto “This is an outrageous offer from people who aretrying to rob us”.
Idea Summary
A flinch is defined as any show of shock, disgust ordisbelief in response to a first offer. Do flinches workfor negotiators, or are they counterproductive, andend up damaging the negotiation? Past research hasshown that making a first offer can put you at anadvantage over your counterpart. Which is moreeffective: making the opening offer or deciding toreceive the opening offer and flinching in response?
New research shows that flinching can lead to morevalue for the flincher, which means that making theopening offer is not always an advantage. It alsomeans that an aggressive counteroffer — to combatthe supposed advantage of a first offer — is notnecessary. A measured flinch effectively disarms theother negotiator.
A flinch can be subtle or blatant, and both are equallyeffective… in the short term. However, an overlydemonstrative flinch can have negative long-termrelationship consequences. Other parties will becomeless willing to negotiate with someone whoconsistently overreacts to first offers. In negotiationsthat involve ongoing partners, a flinch can be used butwith some restraint.
When restraint is manifested, however — when, forexample, negotiators are able to flinch without anger— targets of the flinch will not leave with negativefeelings about the negotiation, or feel that they did notdo well.
Business Application
ShareAuthors
Fassina, Neil E.
Whyte, Glen R.
Institutions
University of Toronto Rotman School of
Management
Source
Group Decision and Negotiation
Idea conceived
July 2013
Idea posted
July 2014
DOI number
Subject
Interpersonal Skills
Operations
Operational Risk
Negotiations
Business Application
The best negotiating tactics will achieve twoobjectives: 1) getting the most value for the negotiator,and 2) leaving the counterpart in the negotiationsfeeling that he or she did well.
As a negotiating tactic, flinching can achieve those twogoals, as long as the characteristics of the flinch arenot too aggressive. When negotiating, keep the flinchin your repertoire, and use it but with civility and in acontextually appropriate way. You will thus avoid thecollateral damage that this tactic, when wieldedunskilfully, can cause.
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Further Reading
’I Am Disgusted by Your Proposal’: The Effects ofa Strategic Flinch in Negotiations. Neil E. Fassina& Glen R. Whyte. Group Decision and Negotiation(July 2013).
Further Relevant Resources
Neil E. Fassina’s profile at Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology J.R. Shaw School of Business
Glen R. Whyte’s profile at University of Toronto Rotman School
of Management
University of Toronto Rotman School of Management's
Executive Education profile at IEDP