Rushed in a conversation?

There was a question from a member of the Negotiation Practice Community during a practice session:

- What if people are irritated by the empathetic conversation and rush me to "get to the point?"

It's a very good question as it shows the emotional dynamic in the conversation that colors the decisions.

The answer will be a bit about strategy.

If someone is rushing you to get to the point, it could be due to the following reasons:

1. Something urgent is going on. Simply ask, "It seems like you're in a rush. Is this a bad time to talk now?"

2. They don't value you, or they don't value the topic. Conversation with you about it is not a priority. In this case you need to ask them a question that they can't answer related to what they want.

For example, if you know that they are failing a deal with the partner, you can ask, "Have you considered all possible options to win this deal?"

3. They don't trust you. In this case, you may even not know what they are after. You need to build trust first. Start with the contrasting statement, "I don't want to waste your time or get in your way. I want to see your perspective to make a better decision."

4. They don't respect you. And this is the most difficult case, perhaps rooted in your previous interactions or bias. In this case you need to make a decision to continue the conversation to negotiate respect or just leave the opportunity to talk. Because the only thing you can negotiate in this case is getting back to the place of respect.

What other questions you may have about challenging conversations?

Send them in or leave a comment.

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