Negotiating 101: From Planning Your Strategy to Finding a Common Ground, an Essential Guide to the Art of Negotiating (Adams 101) by Peter Sander

Author:Peter Sander [Sander, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adams Media
Published: 2017-06-05T14:00:00+00:00

VAGUE QUESTIONS

Vague questions are just as they sound—they don’t lead to a specific answer. As such, they can prompt unexpected responses. If the other party asks vague questions, it’s easy to misinterpret what they really mean—and you might give an answer you did not intend to disclose. For example, the question, “How accurate is that figure?” is a vague question dressed up in superficial specifics. Think about possible answers you might give, and you’ll soon realize there are few if any specific answers. You might reply with, “Fairly accurate,” “highly accurate,” or even “100 percent accurate.” Regardless, these aren’t specific answers; they are vague answers. But in giving them, you indicate some ambiguity in the figure, which invites further discussion that in turn may cause you to reveal something you didn’t intend to be known.

“Are you having a good day?” is another vague question—how? Personally? Professionally? Seems innocent, but it’s a vague question that may evoke either a vague answer or a specific answer you don’t really want to give.

To counteract vague questions, simply ask for more specifics. “Does that figure look right to you? Does it seem too high or too low?” “Are you asking about my work day so far?” If your counterparty is using vague questions to fish for information and unexpected answers, get exact details about what she wants to know before giving too much away.

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