How to turn a spaniel into three guinea pigs

A few days ago my wife telephoned me at work to tell me about a cocker spaniel puppy she had seen. It was so cute and could we buy it?

I pointed out that we already have a pet dog and that we could do without extending the pack right now. Now, much as I love my dog I am also very aware of the responsibility that comes with him and the fact that he is quite a tie. The last thing I want right now is a second dog in the house. There is also the question of expense to consider and I made my argument against getting a second dog along these lines.

After minimal protestation my wife gracefully accepted my point of view and I congratulated myself on my superb persuasion skills

That evening I returned home from work and my wife said, ‘Katy would like to ask you something.’ Now, Katy is my youngest daughter and I was pretty sure what was coming next.

I was expecting more pressure to buy the puppy but this time with my daughter applying emotional blackmail. In fact, my daughter asked for a guinea pig instead. Imagine my relief. That did not sound so bad and a guinea pig would be a lot less expensive than another dog.

Within minutes I found myself agreeing to Katy’s request.

Had I been conned? Such was my relief at not being pressed on the question of the puppy that I readily agreed to the guinea pig. Would I have agreed so easily if I had been asked for a guinea pig in the first place? I doubt it.

Now, I consider myself to be a pretty good negotiator but I had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Make an outrageous demand and then drop your demand to your real target and you will have much more chance of getting what you want.

I made the cardinal sin of not concentrating and ended up losing hands down.

Just to put the record straight I don’t for one minute think that my wife and my daughter deliberately set me up. However, I did return home last night to discover that we had acquired not one but three guinea pigs. The explanation was that we had to have one for each of my three children. Which leads me to another lesson learned from this encounter. Always be sure to agree what has been agreed at the end of a negotiation – preferably in writing.

If you are looking for negotiation training materials please check my 'Art of Negotiation' course. Only available at Trainer Bubble.

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