People are skeptical of oral arguments, but they assume that words printed in an article, book or report are true. Unleash this powerful support when you feel you are losing ground on a key point. You may end up using only a small percentage of this material, but you'll negotiate with greater confidence knowing it is available. Experience proves that people who succeed in debates and negotia- tions are usually the ones who have the most facts. Closure is a neat, final, well- defined solution to a problem.
Technical people seek closure because they are trained to find precise solutions.
If 90 percent of the issue is settled, and people in the meeting are beginning to grow restless, let the other 10 percent go for a while. Instead, call for a break. The Human Touch Above all, remember that you're dealing with human beings, not machines or chemicals. You'll have an edge if you learn as much as you can about your op- ponents before you sit down to negotiate. Top exec- utives, for example, usually want to get to the bottom line in a hurry.