CBN CBN Negotiation Planning & Preparation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When preparing a negotiation agenda, what is the primary strategic advantage of controlling who sets the agenda?
- It allows you to choose the meeting location
- It lets you sequence issues to build momentum and anchor key terms early (Correct answer)
- It ensures the other party cannot bring up new topics
- It eliminates the need for a BATNA
Correct 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.
Question 2: 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?
- Ignore it to avoid appearing manipulative
- Slow the negotiation pace to increase the counterpart's pressure and extract concessions (Correct answer)
- Immediately disclose it to build trust
- Use it only if the counterpart brings it up first
Correct 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.
Question 3: In pre-negotiation planning, what does a 'negotiation map' typically document?
- The physical layout of the meeting room
- All parties, their interests, relationships, and likely positions on key issues (Correct answer)
- The travel itinerary for the negotiating team
- A list of concessions the other party has made in past deals
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which approach best describes 'interest-based' preparation as opposed to 'position-based' preparation?
- Identifying the maximum price you will accept before walking away
- Researching the underlying needs and motivations behind each party's stated demands (Correct answer)
- Preparing a list of firm non-negotiable terms
- Focusing solely on quantitative financial outcomes
Correct 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.
Question 5: When setting your target point during negotiation preparation, what key principle should guide the selection?
- It should equal your BATNA value
- It should be ambitious yet justifiable with objective criteria (Correct answer)
- It should be set below your reservation point to leave room for concessions
- It should match the counterpart's opening offer
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- SWOT analysis of the supplier
- Building a multi-issue scoring matrix that weights each variable by importance (Correct answer)
- Consulting a lawyer about contract enforceability
- Conducting a post-mortem on the last negotiation
Correct 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.
Question 7: What is the purpose of conducting a 'pre-mortem' during negotiation preparation?
- Reviewing outcomes of past failed negotiations
- Imagining the negotiation has already failed and identifying what caused it (Correct answer)
- Assessing the counterpart's financial health
- Drafting contingency clauses for the final contract
Correct 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.
CBN CBN Negotiation Planning & Preparation 4
When preparing a negotiation agenda, what is the primary strategic advantage of controlling who sets the agenda?