Over-wanting

Disciplines > Negotiation > Negotiation mistakes > Over-wanting

Description | Avoiding it | Taking advantage | See also

Description

Over-wanting happens when you want something so much that you are prepared to do anything or give away anything to get it.

This particularly happens when there is one big thing that is being negotiated, such as a house or a car. If you fall in love with it beforehand, then you may find yourself paying over the odds for it.

Avoiding it

Watch your emotions, particularly desire, when thinking about the negotiables in the deal. Are you strongly attached to something?

A good way of avoiding wanting something too much is to find something else that is equally (or almost as) desirable, and spending time developing this possibility to the point when you have a good choice. If you don't get the thing you want, then the alternative will be almost as good.

Taking advantage

When the other person is fixated on getting something, then you can push up price for it or otherwise request many things in return for giving it to them.

You can also encourage over-wanting by talking up the thing and then playing temptation games, such as offering it to them and then indicating that they may not get it (perhaps you love it so much yourself you do not want to let it go, or maybe there is somebody else who has indicated that they are prep).