CBN Negotiation Planning & Preparation Flashcards

When preparing a negotiation agenda, what is the primary strategic advantage of controlling who sets the agenda?

Answer: It lets you sequence issues to build momentum and anchor key terms early

Controlling the agenda lets you sequence discussions to anchor favorable positions early and build psychological momentum before reaching contested issues.

A negotiator discovers that her counterpart has an internal deadline pressuring him to close the deal within two weeks. How should she use this intelligence in her preparation?

Answer: Slow the negotiation pace to increase the counterpart's pressure and extract concessions

Knowing a counterpart's deadline is a leverage point; slowing the process ethically increases time pressure on the other side, improving your negotiating position.

In pre-negotiation planning, what does a 'negotiation map' typically document?

Answer: All parties, their interests, relationships, and likely positions on key issues

A negotiation map is a structured overview of all stakeholders, their interests, interdependencies, and anticipated positions to guide strategy development.

Which approach best describes 'interest-based' preparation as opposed to 'position-based' preparation?

Answer: Researching the underlying needs and motivations behind each party's stated demands

Interest-based preparation uncovers the 'why' behind positions, enabling negotiators to find creative solutions that satisfy underlying needs rather than just splitting stated demands.

When setting your target point during negotiation preparation, what key principle should guide the selection?

Answer: It should be ambitious yet justifiable with objective criteria

A target point should be optimistic but defensible, supported by market data or objective standards, so it anchors high without appearing unreasonable.

A company is preparing to negotiate a multi-year supply contract. Which preparation step helps quantify the total value at stake across all negotiable variables?

Answer: Building a multi-issue scoring matrix that weights each variable by importance

A multi-issue scoring matrix assigns weights and scores to each variable, allowing negotiators to calculate total deal value and identify trades that maximize overall outcome.

What is the purpose of conducting a 'pre-mortem' during negotiation preparation?

Answer: Imagining the negotiation has already failed and identifying what caused it

A pre-mortem proactively identifies potential failure points by mentally simulating a bad outcome, allowing negotiators to address vulnerabilities before they occur.