Chapter 13: COUNTERING PERSONAL STRATEGIES How to Get the Upper Hand

CHAPTER 13

Countering Personal Strategies

H OW TO G ET THE U PPER H AND

GOOD STRATEGY ALWAYS starts off as a proactive process, but it must also have the ability to become reactive to new information. This information may be technical, political, legal, financial, or even personal in nature. Many times, it takes the form of unforeseen tactical moves or strategic changes by counterparts. Inflexible strategies and static tactics can only be used by the strongest buyer/ investors and even then are subject to defeat by nimble opponents. Planning strategy is subject to the vagaries of guesswork, and we can all only hope to make the most educated guess possible. The only thing worse than having chosen an incorrect strategy is the refusal to admit that it needs correction. Often, the refusal to change is egobased; at other times, when it becomes obvious that the game has changed, it’s a lack of backup procedures.

How To Counteract

AGGRESSIVE Use the opponent’s belief in their own strength against them. They can be enveloped during their headlong rush or allowed to dissipate their energy against an immovable object. Aggressive stylists attack frontally and generally, they lack guile. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Compliant, Impassive, Indulgent, Secretive, Deceptive, Theft.

COMPLIANT The compliant stylist proceeds with the belief that the opposition is unaware of his intentions until the trap is sprung. This style can be derailed by changes to the agenda or the simultaneous discussion of all important issues. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES: Pragmatic, Secretive, Stern, Brinkmanship, Theft

PASSIVE This technique requires that the opposition reveal their plan in detail with little revealed by the Passive stylist. Becoming demanding counterparts and insisting on speedy proceedings can expose and dilute this style. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES: Aggressive, Exploitive, Fleeting, Intimidating

IMPASSIVE The Impassive, especially buyers, try to convince their opponents that they are hiding something. The inscrutable founder in an atmosphere of openness. Ask questions, demand answers, hold the agenda hostage. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Pragmatic, Brinkmanship, Overwhelming, Technical

INTIMIDATING Intimidators are just Aggressors with insight. Their reliance on creating fear can and must be stymied early in discussions. Addressing the style directly acknowledges its effect. Stick to business. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Impassive, Technical, Financial, Legalistic, Pragmatic

TECHNICAL Whereas Aggressors and Intimidators want you to feel weak, Technical negotiators want you to feel stupid by bombarding the negotiations with data.

Putting the focus on larger issues and avoiding minutia defangs them. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Legalistic, Exploitive, Self-Righteous, Stern, Social

FINANCIAL Finance bargainers constantly put the focus on profit, to the exclusion of other issues. If those other issues are important, you must take either the moral high ground or the realistic mid-range. There is more to business than just money. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Self-Righteous, Pragmatic, Legalistic

LEGALISTIC Countering this strategy depends on which side of the law you wish to remain.

If you find your counterpart’s insistence on adhering to the letter of the law a bit tedious and potentially unprofitable, then you need to introduce the reality of the situation especially if the host country has little contract law. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Pragmatism, Deception, Stern If on the other hand counterparts seem unable to “locate the top of the table” or the right side of the law, you must make it clear that the deal will not be concluded under nefarious circumstances. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Legalistic, Intimidating, Self-Righteous, Social

SECRETIVE Agreement to secret negotiations can often cause regret as it limits outside information and protective scrutiny. If it’s at the planning stage, you can demand to know why secrecy is required. If a change in strategy is required, simply state that you find the situation untenable and can’t proceed unless the veil of secrecy is lifted. Either way, fortitude is required. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES: Intimidating, Pragmatic, Stern, Aggressive, Social,

Deceptive

DECEPTIVE Deception is part of everyone’s style to some degree and can never be completely eliminated. Excesses can be toned down, however, by injections of— and demands for—the truth. Don’t be too insistent, as the tables may suddenly turn against you. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Pragmatic, Self-Righteous, Stern, Impassive, Legalistic, Intimidating

EXPLOITIVE Exploiting the weakness of others is rarely tolerated and never appreciated when discovered. Countering it requires confrontation and in some cases

turnabout. Becoming emotional about the strategy is to succumb to its effect. It can best be countered by limiting weaknesses in your position prior to negotiations. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Impassive, Pragmatic, Technical

STUBBORN People who refuse to budge on an issue or who state their position in terms of

“non-negotiable” are really expressing their lack of justification for their position.

Finding the underlying cause for such obdurance is the key to breaking the deadlock. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Social, Deceptive, Indulgent, Compliant

AMBIVALENT Like stubbornness, searching out the underlying cause of ambivalence goes a long way toward its cure. Often it stems from simply not trusting the opposition.

Unlike stubbornness, ambivalence does react well to a heavy hand. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Social, Deceptive, Stern, Intimidating

PRAGMATIC The only problem in dealing with pragmatic counterparts is that they may only see the “practicality” of a proposal from a single perspective. Blinders aren’t rare in international business, even for pragmatists. It’s one of the few strategies wherein a “fight fire with fire” countermove works. Whatever the case, the pragmatist must be approached with reason, not sentiment. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Pragmatic, Stern, Social, Legalistic, Technical

BRINKMANSHIP Rather than being a whole strategy, driving opponents to the brink is more of a keystone tactic in an aggressive or intimidating style. It can be warded off by forcing the counterparts to place their whole plan on the table at once. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Impassive, Stern, Pragmatic, Self-Righteous, Overwhelming

ARROGANT Arrogant people tend to feel ill at ease about their own standing. This can either be played to or downplayed. Capitalizing on an opponent’s feelings of inferiority can add an emotional edge to the discussions that can reduce effectiveness. It’s best to find the root cause and alleviate it. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Exploitive, Compliant, Social, Stern

SELF -RIGHTEOUS Opponents “riding their high horses” make easy targets, but they can also be some of the most difficult people to counter. They want everyone to look at “the big picture,” but only from one side. This emotional tie to their issues makes everything appear as a need. They can be maneuvered into a corner by the rapid and repeated use of the quid pro quo. They can rarely be intimidated because they believe right is on their side, so frontal attacks are useless. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Compliant, Indulgent, Secretive, Deceptive

OVERWHELMING Negotiators will have precious little time to recognize that they’re about to be overrun. If you suspect that you’re about to confront an Overwhelming buyer (“I’ll take everything you’ve got but I won’t pay more than . . .”) or a “driver’s seat” sales team (“Microsoft has what you need but . . .”), you’ll either have to outcharm them or outrun them. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Social, Indulgent, Pragmatic, Fleeting, Aggressive

FLEETING Speed can be very irritating, and irritable negotiators don’t succeed on a regular basis. Counterparts who attempt to run roughshod are either showing their inexperience or questioning your own. Show them your mettle (buying or selling) by refusing to adjust your pace to their style. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Impassive, Stern, Technical, Legalistic

STERN

It is wise to assume that Stern stylists didn’t come by their methods casually. The strategy puts a focus on details and can only move in a straight line. It can’t be sidetracked so it must be derailed. Don’t bother with cajoling. Just disregard the dour looks and hammer away at the weaknesses in the counterpart’s arguments. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Exploitive, Pragmatic, Technical

SOCIAL Social stylists are the most deadly, least obvious, and hardest to resist of all strategists. They offer fun, friendship, and favorable connections as a means to expose and control your position. Hosts practicing this strategy can be exceptionally persuasive for visitors a long way from home. The social niceties must be observed in every culture, but be wary when they cross the line into manipulation. If the effort is egregious, don’t hesitate to make a major strategic alteration. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Intimidating, Exploitive, Stern, Impassive, Deceptive

THEFT

Theft of information as a strategy is difficult and costly to repel. Its prevention is tactical. Its discovery can lead to strategic changes by the victims mostly for the purpose of assuring that they’re not victimized again. Severe measures are usually called for if discussions are to continue. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Intimidating, Legalistic, Exploitive, Stern

INDULGENT Being enveloped by an Indulgent stylist can be a very enjoyable experience right up until the strategy closes off your escape. As will be seen in the Country-by-

Country listing of strategies and tactics, some cultures are more given to this methodology than others. Many victims bask in its comfort, hoping to wriggle free at the last moment. It’s better to resist its charms from the outset. ■ COUNTERSTRATEGIES : Impassive, Technical, Pragmatic, Stern