Understanding negotiation: First No than Yes

Dr KK Aggarwal & Professor Nitin Aggarwal

SFO: DIFT and FTID are two important negotiation principles.

Door-in-the-face (DITF) technique is a compliance method commonly studied in social psychology.

The persuader attempts to convince the respondent to comply by making a large unrealistic unreasonable request that the respondent will most likely turn down, much like a metaphorical slamming of a door in the persuader's face.

The respondent is then more likely to agree to a second, more reasonable request, than if that same request is made in isolation.

It works on the basic human need of pleasing people. The subject feels guilty for having denied the first request and causing disappointment to the persuader, so when he is given a second choice (or a second chance), and a much more reasonable one at that, he finds it easier to accept it and redeem himself of his negative feelings, if you may.

Examples

·         IT department: They raise an unreasonable demand forcing you to agree to their actual reasonable demand without any interference.

·         For any donation, tell your project with an unreasonable cost but then ask for a small amount as donation.

·         The DITF involves a set pattern―first you get a no and then you get a yes. Ms R wants to go for a film in the evening and she'll be home by 9 pm. She knows that her parents won't like her staying out so late. So, she asks her parents whether she can be home by 12 am and is immediately refused. She then follows that up by requesting for a 9 pm slot and is granted permission.

·         All governments do it, raise the petrol price or the GST by 18% and then give 10% subsidy

Foot-in-the-door (FITD) technique: The persuader begins with a small request and gradually increases the demands of each request. This is a usual bargaining in day to day life.

Both the FITD and DITF techniques increase the likelihood a respondent will agree to the second request.