Key Negotiation Tips from ‘Just Go with It’.
If you have not yet watched the film clip from the Adam Sandler movie ‘Just go with it’, please watch this before reading the answers below.
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In the 60 second clip, Adam Sandler is trying to engage the daughter of his executive assistant to pretend to be his daughter for a few days. If you were a negotiation skills coach, what lessons would you point out to either of the parties to help them improve the outcome next time?
Here is our list of the most obvious:
1) Venue — Danny (Sandler) chose to conduct the negotiation at a pizza parlour and without Maggie's mum present. Clearly, the relaxed atmosphere and implied obligation is designed to create goodwill and compliance. Well done to Maggie (Bailee Madison) for not allowing this to sway her stance.
2) No Explore phase — The entire clip only features one question: “What do you want?” Maggie does not ask Danny how much the sharade is worth to him. Likewise, Danny does not explore why Maggie wants to get paid and take acting classes. What might acting classes be worth to her?
3) Priority question missed — Maggie asks for two items: pay (incl. overtime) and acting classes - which is most important to her? Might she concede on one to achieve the other?
4) Careless concession — Maggie drops her demand for overtime pay without asking for anything in return. Pretending to be Danny’s daughter whilst on holiday is likely to be a full-time job.
5) Haggling - not trading — Meeting in the middle rarely produces optimal outcomes. Adding another trading variable could improve the deal for both sides: "If you do an outstanding job, then I’ll pay you $500 and you can enrol in acting class."
6) No Summary of the agreement — Rather than a quick “Done!” to close the deal, a summary of the agreed terms at the end might have flushed out areas that should still be resolved: When will payment be made? What about overtime? Is payment contingent on success?, etc...
7) A key condition is implied, but not clearly stated — “If you agree to pretend to be my daughter for X days and are successful in helping me achieve Y, then I will pay you Z dollars…”
8) Shape of a good proposal — In addition to item 7) above, for maximum impact, introduce your proposal and ask specifically for a response at the end.
9) Don't gloat — In the event that you have been able to secure a great deal, resist the temptation to boast. It will only cause the other side to push harder next time.
How many lessons did you manage to pick-up? Did you spot anything we’ve missed?
1-2 lessons — an OK start
3-4 lessons — good
5-6 lessons — very good
7+ lessons — outstanding
There is always room for improvement in your negotiation skills. Reach out to Negotiation Partners, if you’d like further information about our programs for yourself or for your team.
We practise what we teach – and we only teach what actually works in practice.