CNE Advanced Negotiation Tactics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'Good Cop/Bad Cop' tactic is most effectively countered by:
- Ignoring the bad cop and only speaking with the good cop
- Naming the tactic openly to neutralize its psychological effect (Correct answer)
- Offering a larger concession to satisfy the bad cop
- Threatening to leave the negotiation immediately
Correct answer: Naming the tactic openly to neutralize its psychological effect
Explicitly naming the Good Cop/Bad Cop tactic exposes the manipulation, reducing its emotional pressure and shifting the dynamic back to substance.
Question 2: In real estate negotiations, a CNE practitioner recommends buyers use 'escalation clauses' primarily to:
- Set a ceiling price that protects against overpaying in competitive bidding situations
- Automatically increase their offer incrementally above competing bids up to a maximum (Correct answer)
- Signal willingness to accept the seller's full asking price
- Delay closing until market conditions improve
Correct answer: Automatically increase their offer incrementally above competing bids up to a maximum
An escalation clause automatically beats competing offers by a set increment, helping buyers win in multiple-offer situations without unnecessarily overpaying.
Question 3: When a counterpart uses the 'limited authority' tactic ('I need to check with my manager'), the best CNE response is to:
- Accept the delay and wait indefinitely for the answer
- Request that the decision-maker join the negotiation directly (Correct answer)
- Immediately lower your demand to speed up approval
- Threaten to withdraw the offer if they leave the room
Correct answer: Request that the decision-maker join the negotiation directly
Asking for the actual decision-maker eliminates the tactic's purpose — using absent authority as a shield — and re-centers the negotiation.
Question 4: The concept of 'logrolling' in negotiation means:
- Pressuring the other party through repeated demands
- Trading concessions on issues of differing priority to create mutual gain (Correct answer)
- Presenting all demands simultaneously as a package
- Refusing to move until the other party makes the first concession
Correct answer: Trading concessions on issues of differing priority to create mutual gain
Logrolling exploits the fact that parties often have different priorities, so each can concede on lower-priority items in exchange for gains on higher-priority ones.
Question 5: A 'bracketing' strategy involves:
- Setting both a target and a walk-away point, then making offers that keep the midpoint near your target (Correct answer)
- Offering two extreme options to make the middle option seem reasonable
- Using time pressure to force a decision
- Agreeing on all minor issues before addressing the major one
Correct answer: Setting both a target and a walk-away point, then making offers that keep the midpoint near your target
Bracketing means calculating counter-offers so that if both parties split the difference, the result lands at or near your target price.
Question 6: In CNE training, 'total motivation' (ToMo) framing in negotiation means presenting proposals in terms of:
- The financial cost savings for the other party only
- How the outcome aligns with the other party's intrinsic motivations and identity (Correct answer)
- The legal obligations that compel the other party to comply
- The negotiator's own internal deadlines and pressures
Correct answer: How the outcome aligns with the other party's intrinsic motivations and identity
Framing proposals around intrinsic motivation — purpose, play, and potential — increases acceptance because they align with what the other party genuinely values.
Question 7: Which best describes the 'contrast principle' as applied in negotiation?
- Starting with a reasonable offer to build goodwill before escalating
- Presenting an unfavorable option first so that the preferred option seems more attractive by comparison (Correct answer)
- Comparing your offer to competitor pricing to anchor value
- Using written proposals to contrast with verbal offers
Correct answer: Presenting an unfavorable option first so that the preferred option seems more attractive by comparison
The contrast principle leverages human perception: a target option appears more attractive when juxtaposed with an unfavorable alternative presented first.
CNE Advanced Negotiation Tactics 3
The 'Good Cop/Bad Cop' tactic is most effectively countered by: