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Secrets to Negotiating Success #83 - Deal with Interruptions Creatively Interruptions can be a very frustrating aspect of any negotiation. When the other side interrupts you, then clearly they are not listening to what you are saying, but are thinking about something else instead, which shows no respect for you or your position. Furthermore, a series of interruptions can defeat the entire negotiation. If one side is not allowed to present their position, and to be heard out, from beginning to end, then a satisfactory agreement will not be reached. You have two choices to make when you're interrupted. You can either address the question raised by the interruption, or you can ignore it and return to your original conversation. You are at a choice point. If you chose to return to your point before addressing the content of the interruption, you could pause, smile, and say, "I'll address that in a minute. As I was saying..." and finish your original thought. You might want to make a note of it on your pad of paper, to serve as a reminder. Then, when you're finished with what you're saying, go back to it and respond to the question raised by the interruption. In this way you ensure that you are given enough time to explain your position while also making room for additional issues that pop up during the conversation. This approach will gently but firmly discourage the other side from continuing to interrupt you. If you decide to abandon your point and address the content of the interruption because you agree that content needs an immediate response, you can move right along with the conversation on the interruption point. This is a valid choice, especially after you have moved beyond the Resistance Stage and are using a joint problem-solving approach. On your side, you must remember to never, ever interrupt the other party when he or she is speaking. If you're afraid you won't remember what just popped into your head, write it down and bring it up at an appropriate moment. The importance of really listening to the other side cannot be over- emphasized (see #76); you can't arrive at a creative solution without good listening skills. So it is key to remember that a good listener does not interrupt! back...   © Copyright 2000-2002 Canyon Crest Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal & Privacy Information Web Site Design and Maintenance By Emerging Technology Services