Remarkable results of role reversal.

Back in 2010, while preparing to run a negotiation seminar, I asked my client about his objectives and desired outcomes from the session. One of the first things he said was “I want to get inside the mind of my counterpart”. He then went on to talk about their upcoming negotiation, while I asked questions about the people, the history, the situation etc.

I could have given him my thoughts, there and then, about the motivations and considerations across the table, but I didn’t. Instead I wrote a scenario for the seminar, based on what I’d heard and what I could guess might be the situation in the other camp. I then asked my client to play his counterpart in the exercise.

He still talks about the things he learned that day.

Why do role play?

Doing a role-play allows you to test your proposals and responses, to make mistakes, to rewind, refine and replay, and above all, to get confident and comfortable with the conversation you face. It’s a tried and tested technique, and it makes a real difference to outcomes.

Why reverse role play?

Reverse role play is the best way to understand your counterpart. It makes you research, properly, what their situation is probably like. You get to walk in their shoes, understand their priorities, make the decisions they will make, and see how it feels to receive your own proposal. I guarantee you’ll revise your approach as a result.

BOTTOM LINE: Role play and reverse role play are powerful techniques and can make a big difference, not just to the financial outcome, but also to the way the other party thinks and feels at the end of the negotiation. In the long run, that can be even more valuable.

You should do it more, but you don’t, because a) it’s hard to find the time, and b) it’s hard to find someone who can accurately represent the other party. So ask yourself, what deals are coming up where it would be worthwhile? Why not decide now and put the time in your diary.