The Stealth Negotiation Superpower: Playfulness

Negotiation Training

By Chris Voss | Christopher Voss

Here’s how I stumbled over the new superpower of playfulness to make a delightful deal…And learned the optimum time of day to make a deal.??

One day at about 10:30 in the morning, I was sitting down at my desk getting ready to pay a $3,300 medical bill. A bill I’m happy to pay in full.? My philosophy is to ask full price and overdeliver - so as a 2-way street, I don’t have a problem paying full price, I just expect others to over-deliver as well.

(Please don’t misconstrue this to mean I tolerate scope-creep.? I don’t.)

But I'm thinking… you know what?? I'm feeling kind of happy, I'm in a playful mood. Let me see if I can get a discount on this baby.?

Now, 10% discounts are a throwaway. Usually, if you call somebody up on the phone and make a reasonable case, and if the bill feels a little old to them… maybe 30 days old or even 60 days old, they’re probably open to a discount if they get the money on the spot. And…? as long as I'm not a complete jerk.?

The Black Swan rule is “never be mean to someone who can hurt you by doing nothing”.? Imagine what they can do for you if they feel like it?

So my mental calculation: $3,300 bill… by spending half an hour on the phone…a 10% discount equates to about $600 an hour. Yeah! I'm going to work for $600 an hour.?

I dial these people up to see what they have to say…And of course, I get their mind-numbing phone tree…

“Press 1 for… Press 2 for … etc.” And finally, “To pay your bill…press…” (Translation: “If you’re a deadbeat…settle up now.”)

I press that number and it rings through. The young lady on the other end of the phone says “hello”,?

Which isn't even…“Hi, how can I help you?”? Nothing at all. Just a straight “Hello”.?

My thoughts?? “Alright, so this is a little bit of a tough cookie.”?

But I'm in a playful mood. So I think the heck with it. Let's have fun with this, I say, “I owe you money!” in a very playful,kind of fun, self-effacing way. In an “I admit I’m guilty”? sort of playful and fun tone of voice.?

Her: “You got a billing number?”??

Me: “Yeah”,?

She looks it up and says:? “Oh, yes, you do” (but now she’s using a playful voice too).

Me: “I need to pay you guys before you come to my house and drag me out of my house.” And she starts to laugh.?

Her:? “Yeah, we will do that” (and now she is really laughing with me.)

Me: “If I pay the whole thing now…What kind of discount can I get?

Her:? “Let me check.”

I hear her talking a little bit away from the phone, andI hear “$700” in the background. And so I think, oh, okay, awesome!? I was hoping for 10% and it sounds like it’s going to be 20%...I am holding my breath.

She comes back on the line.

Her: “$700”.

I am delighted.? So to confirm I say “$700 Off?”?

Her: “No, no, we'll settle for $700”.?

I am floored by this response. I can't pay this baby fast enough. I'm really kind to her on the phone…I tell her, I appreciate it. I give her my credit card number and we settle that thing on the spot. She sends me an email invoice, showing that the whole amount has been paid.?

What happened??

There were 2 critical elements of why this worked......Read the full article here: https://www.blackswanltd.com/the-edge/the-stealth-negotiation-superpower-playfulness