The Sample Move Planner

“Last week, I was told that the delivery by week 12 would work for you. Now you’re telling me that week 8 is also important. Just how important is it?”

Understanding how others value things right now is critical. We’ve seen people negotiate for what they think they want, rather than negotiate for the things that they actually need. The questioning here should be aimed at qualifying what they need. This is pretty much how a procurement process actually work!

Just think of how a construction manager who insists on removing the scaffolding from the construction site at just a day’s notice. Since the manager thinks it’s of critical importance, the company in charge of manpower will be charging him a premium for the task. But doing so will get the job done. But once the builder is questioned, it’s revealed that his construction contract states that he has around a week to clear the site. 

A seven-day’s notice would’ve saved him a 5% premium on the scaffold rental. From this example, one can see that most people think they want a better price, but it’s actually a better deal than they are truly after!

When considering a conditional proposal, try to avoid introducing more than three items at once. It can prove difficult for the other party to respond or calculate at once in a meaningful way. It also slows down any momentum created. If you factor in every conditional proposal prepared all at once, you are more likely to draw a delayed response from the other party for three reasons:

• They find it incredibly difficult under pressure to calculate what it all means. Thus, they are more likely to pick off the terms they do like while ignoring the conditions attached to them.
• They will have some ideas that you want to think about first before tabling your entire position.
• They are left without the task of working out links or connections between each conditional proposal, which will probably confuse them even further.

The approach of gradually tabling your proposals and allowing the deal to build requires a lot of patience and a certain degree of comfort with the early ambiguity.

Before making any proposals check their priorities one last time. Priorities can change at the last minute, so always make sure that you update priorities when it needs changing.

To begin with, neither party will be looking at the whole deal and yet they may be asked to respond to a part of it. Remember, where there is complexity, you’ll need to park elements and return to them later after examining some of the other agendas first.

How it All Works

The move planner is used to specify the details of conditional terms placed against each of the trade-offs created. It provides you with a list of proposals that are well thought of.

Each proposal needs to be specific, which gives the other party the chance to weigh, calculate, respond, and consider. Simply calculating for improved payment terms in return for a bigger order will not help. You need to be more specific about what is needed. If not, you can’t reasonably expect them to take the offer seriously or for them to respond to your offer. If it takes your company 60 days to give a 10% increase, then say so directly. 

Put the details on your move planner. It’s one of the many tools you can use to record your proposals before advancing towards discussions. These are conditions that you have thought through, calculated, and considered objectively during the day.