NEGOTIATION
HOW TO GET A CLIENT OR PROSPECT TO SAY “ NO ” SO YOU CAN GET TO “ YES !”
BY CHRIS VOSS
Does yes really always mean yes ? Absolutely not . When we say yes , we ’ re committing to something . And immediately after we ’ ve committed , we begin worrying about what we ’ ve just signed up for .
Which means , at best , every yes is a conditional yes . And oftentimes , it ’ s even worse : a counterfeit yes that ’ s uttered simply to get the other side to shut up .
Would it be ridiculous to find out that getting the other side to say no is actually what you should be gunning for when you sit down at the table ?
THE BEAUTY OF SAYING NO
Whereas yes is a commitment , no is protection . There isn ’ t any shaky ground here , either . When we say no , we mean it . No is always no .
Why not use these three ways to make no work for you ?
1 . To break an impasse
2 . To get someone ’ s attention , especially if they ’ ve stopped responding to you
3 . To help someone think clearly
Getting someone to say no is easy . It ’ s one of the best communication skills you can possess . Just flip your yes-oriented questions into no-oriented questions . Instead of asking the maître d ’ “ Is it okay if we sit in the reserved section of the restaurant ?”, ask them “ Would it be horrible if we sat there ?”
Pretty much every yes-oriented question you ask can be flipped around by adding phrases like these to your statement :
• Have you given up on ... ?
• Is it ridiculous ... ?
• Would it be horrible ... ?
• Is it a bad idea ... ?
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