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Don't make an ASS of U and ME because in negotiations if an assumption is unchallenged it forms the basis for the mother of all f$@% ups!

Apologies for the expletive but the problem can not be understated!

There is no doubt that during your planning stage and even during the negotiation you will be making ASSUMPTIONS.  This is not a problem in itself but it becomes a problem if you fail to test those assumptions.

As they say, if you ASSUME then you risk making an "ass of u and me" and in a negotiation they form the foundations of some very dangerous outcomes.

They can be little, innocuous things such as:

• Assuming the number of days for delivery are 'work' not 'calendar' days,
• Assuming the price includes delivery,
• Assuming the licences are ‘per seat’ and not named,
• Assuming the payment terms are ‘standard’ … 30 days, 45 days, eom;

The list can and will go on and that is where you can catch a nasty headache and don't think you're immune... I've seen negotiators assume assume they're buying one product when, in fact, the other party was talking a different product entirely ... disastrous... IT DOES HAPPEN!

At the TNC you can practice your "ART".

And when we talk about ART we're taking about your "Ass Reducing Techniques" such as:

• OPEN questionning
• CLOSED questionning
• HYPERTHETICAL Questionning
• SILENCE
• SUMMERISING
• AGENDA FORMING
• ETC, ETC.

"Because it’s better to be an Ass in practice than a Donkey at the real negotiation table."