On the off chance you find yourself negotiating over email, here are a few tips on how to really mess up the negotiation:
- Make your emails as long as possible.
- Don’t respond in a timely manner to emails you receive.
- Learn to stalk, if warranted.
- Never resort to synchronous means of discussion like instant messaging or god forbid, the telephone.
- If you suspect you have been insulted, you probably have – respond immediately in kind.
For my part, I don’t believe that email should be the sole form of communication when negotiating anything. Preferably initiate the process (or at least conduct a meaningful part of the process) in person or if that is not possible, do it over the phone/voip. It is easy to dehumanise a person if all you ever see from that person is text on a page. It is impersonal and if you hope to achieve anything, you really want your negotiation partner to see you as a person he/she could identify with.
But that is just me …
Tags: negotiation, email, in person, human contact, tips
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What do you think?