Have you ever changed something about your appearance that made you look dramatically different? How was that with your family, friends and co-workers? I’m willing to bet that right from the start there was a bit of a surprise when they first came across your new look. However, over time that faded and things went back to normal. What happened is that they finally came to see you the way you see yourself. When you’re negotiating a deal, this very concept can be a powerful factor in helping you conclude a negotiation…
The concept of acceptance time
New ideas take time to be accepted. This is true both in real life and in negotiations. If you are the one bringing a new idea to a negotiation, such as a price increase or a shorter time in which you need to receive a product, then you should expect the other side of the table to reject the idea when you present it.
Acceptance time is the time it takes for one of the parties in a negotiation to accept a new idea. This acceptance does not come quickly. Instead, people need time to get used to a new set of circumstances.
The reason acceptance time is such an important part of every negotiation is because we all go into a negotiation with a mental list of things we want to get out of the negotiation. When the other party presents us with a demand that does not fit well with our list of desired results, we struggle to reconcile what we want with what is offered to us.
Our perception of reality is initially formed by ourselves. As the other side of the table reshapes this perception, we must adjust, and this takes time. This is especially true if the new ideas being put forward by the other side are distasteful to us.
As negotiators, we must realize that new ideas will become old ideas and ideas that were considered completely unacceptable when they were initially put forward may become possible once they have been on the table long enough. Allowing the concept of acceptance to work its magic can allow the other side of the table to come closer to our way of seeing the world and make it possible to come to terms with them.
What all this means to you
Ultimately, a negotiation is about presenting new ideas to the other side of the table. You should expect these new ideas to meet a lot of resistance when they are first introduced.
However, the powerful concept of acceptance time has the ability to transform the negotiation. What was once completely unacceptable when you first presented it can become understandable and later acceptable if you allow enough time.
Skilled negotiators realize that this is a natural process that can be a part of every negotiation. Using this knowledge, both present new ideas early in the process and then allow enough time for the other party to become comfortable with the new ideas. Use the power of acceptance time to allow agreement to be reached no matter how new your proposals are.