In Palindrome we build trusting and long-term relationships with customers. Our principle is to be responsible for the result with blood, analytics and conscience. To comply with it, you need to be honest with each other and with customers. To create such transparency and openness in the company, I have been practicing negotiations for the last five years and learning to understand my interlocutors.
Communication is an essential part of any job. It doesn't matter with whom you are negotiating: with a client, a team or contractors. The final result will depend on how you build communication.
If communication is poorly debugged, misunderstandings and conflicts arise. At the same time, people often understand the same things in different ways and express feelings, and also conceal needs and expectations. This affects the quality of work, the emotional background of all parties, can lead to project failures, loss of customers, trust, money and employees.
Echo technology is a cool tool that allows you to debug communication. Its essence consists in repeating the last or most important words of the speaker. It helps to tune in with the interlocutor, reduce the level of uncertainty and clarify important circumstances and conditions. And also — to demonstrate your involvement in the conversation and correctly interpret the information.
When I first heard about the echo technique, I was wary of it. It seemed to me that I would look like an idiot because of the constant repetition. But in practice, I see that people like this approach. At this moment, they feel that it is important for me to cooperate with them, that I want to thoroughly understand their expectations and needs , to understand the conditions and circumstances.
The tool can help you achieve a variety of goals — these are the main ones.
Repeating key thoughts shows the interlocutor your positive attitude to his words and interest in the conversation.
— Thanks to the deal, we not only retained the team, but also managed to increase turnover by 35%.
— You have grown by 35%!
The interlocutor may experience difficulties in conversation for various reasons. Repeating phrases after him, the negotiator seems to support his speech, encourages to continue .
— We had a painful experiment with hiring a crisis manager. The analysis was carried out superficially, so all decisions were more based on taste.
— Tastiness?
— Yes, the manager adapted the understandable experience of the previous company, without taking into account our specifics.
In negotiations, everything said can be divided into three categories: facts, interpretations and emotions. And if you qualitatively separate them from each other, it becomes clearer what the opponent wants to achieve, what his needs, goals and objectives are. By asking again, we clarify whether we have correctly understood which entity is in front of us.
— This product should cost less.
— Do I understand correctly that you want the product to cost less?
— Right. I analyzed the data of competitors and found out that we are 17% more expensive. We need to figure out at what stage we are overestimating the cost.
— So we have to find ways to reduce product costs without harming quality?
— That's right. Check the packaging, logistics, sales.
This is how we check what the price reduction is in the conversation. According to the first remark, it may seem that this is an unreasonable personal desire, that is, emotion. With the help of a clarifying question, we clarify that there is an analysis behind the need. That is, the replica is based on a fact.
Clarification allows you to understand the need of the interlocutor and translate it into a task. The correct interpretation of the order increases the chances of a successful result.
The listener repeats the end of the phrase with a questioning intonation. The opponent returns to this point in his speech, thinks again, clarifies the details and rephrases his explanation of this moment. This helps to uncover important circumstances.
— We were at a loss, it seemed to us that we had reached a dead end.
— Have you reached a dead end?
— Yes, all the scenarios that we worked out led to a decrease in the value of shares on the stock market.
Echo phrases fill pauses. While the other party explains the thesis, you get time to think about your next remark.
— When you reschedule, we would like to receive a detailed explanation of why this is happening, and not a four-line unsubscribe.
— A detailed explanation?
— Yes. Any changes in the project must be justified, and the decision—makers must be named. We are waiting for an explanation with an indication of the reasons responsible, with a list of possible risks and with new deadlines for the completion of the project.
Echo questions consist of two parts: polite eyeliner and quoting the words of the interlocutor himself. Below are examples of introductory phrases that are suitable for a variety of situations.
1. Clarification of the interests, needs and goals of the second party:
2. Inducement to utterances:
3. Separating facts from interpretations:
4. Help with conclusions:
5. Help with expressing emotions:
In inept hands, even a cool tool can ruin everything, so use the echo technique without fanaticism. The situations listed below will add distrust and suspicion.
If the interlocutor repeats phrases after the speaker too often, it can be annoying. Therefore, you should ask again only in those places that you do not understand, where there are contradictions, understatement or uncertainty. It is better to replace direct quoting with words that are close in meaning.
If you not only repeated the phrase after the speaker, but also decided to supplement it with your thought, then the interlocutor may feel that you are interrupting him. During his speech, emphasize only his theses, and voice the positions in turn.
I have participated in many negotiations and I am sure that they always fall apart in weak places, where there are manipulations and untruths. If there is no sincere interest in the interlocutor behind the repetition technique, but only a desire to incline to his point of view, then this will spoil everything. Try to understand, not bend.
I have collected books that help me speak, listen and hear. I keep them in my library and give them to my loved ones.
