Time management in a negotiation: three key techniques

Within the negotiations, time is a crucial factor, a lever that can be exploited both strategically, to arrive at more valuable agreements, and manipulatively, or persuasively, to gain advantages in one's favour. In this article, several techniques based on time management in negotiations are explored.

A first way to consciously govern the time variable is to use breaks wisely. Asking for a break before a complex decision, or following a tense circumstance, allows one to avoid impulsive responses. The break can take the form of interrupting the meeting for a few minutes as well as postponing the most crucial contents to a later date.

From an emotional point of view, negotiation is the most complex phase of the negotiation process: there are numerous cognitive biases that one can incur in and that can affect the decision-making process. A pause before the decision activates rational thinking by limiting its influence. In addition, the pause can be used to activate a moment of confrontation with one's team, so that different points of view can be pooled and a more reasoned and co-designed conclusion can be reached.

The time variable can also be used for manipulative purposes to generate pressure. This is especially possible in asymmetrical dynamics, where one of the two parties reveals that it is more urgent to close the deal. In such cases, the less 'pressurised' party may take advantage of the situation to obtain significant concessions. Or, again, the negotiator may create conditions to instil a perception of haste. An example in the commercial field is time-limited offers, which exploit tight deadlines to induce the consumer to hurry, sometimes buying what he does not really need.

Knowing these kinds of manipulative techniques is especially useful in order to recognise them and avoid suffering their effects when the other party chooses to use them. If one is in a real situation of urgency, it may be prudent not to reveal it; if, on the other hand, one realises that the other party is intentionally creating pressure, it may be sufficient to point out that one is in no hurry. Let us imagine a family interested in selling their house who, having no need to move quickly, is willing to wait even months to receive a satisfactory offer. As soon as the first downward offers are received, the real estate agent tries to create a sense of urgency, inviting the family to accept so as not to miss the opportunity. In this case, an effective strategy is to firmly remind them not to be in a hurry, waiting for the offer that suits their interests without suffering the time pressure generated by the agent.