Essentials for Government Contract Negotiators

Chapter 5

Establishing Prenegotiation Objectives

After you have gathered your data, the next step for you and your team is to combine what you have learned from the data with the customer’s needs to establish your priorities for the negotiation. You need to develop a systematic, efficient way to start turning this information into a sound negotiation plan. Establishing priorities will help you do this; priorities will help you channel your team’s efforts toward what’s really important.

Remember, negotiation consists of give and take. So what’s your customer willing to give? What’s their number one priority? Number two? What are the “gotta-haves”? The “nice-to-haves”? You need to establish a pecking order of priorities for your negotiation. Knowing ...