Negotiation: Memory
This will hopefully be the last concept of negotiation that I want to discuss. Some negotiations are not straight forward and may span many months...
Understanding memory
Everyone has an idea what memories are. It is the things we remember and is usually classified as long term or short term memory. The human mind is extremely complex and very many things can help to determine memory. From scent to sound, all the experiences around you may work to solidify the memory for you...
What memory is, is the tiny electrical impulses that follow your neural pathways in a specific order or path. The more the path is used, the easier it becomes to remember it. Combining multiple senses could be a good way to improve memory.
There are very many ways to improve memory which I may get to at some point.
Negotiation
Memory is not a direct concept in negotiation. It is not something you can prepare for as you are very unlikely to know what your opponent has experienced. Rather, memory is an underlying strategy that you should be aware of. As negotiations spread out over time, it may become increasingly important to bring up things from previous sessions. Your memory will serve you well.
But why stop there? Exploit the memory and potential impact to their memory you can make. Be creative and memorable in your presentation. Be friendly, open and engaged when you are not actively negotiating. Becoming a person that they can easily recall may help when the deal is finally struck. Especially in a competitive situation.
Please feel free to engage with me in the comments below.
Great article!