Pull Skills: Questioning and Listening

As we saw in Chapter 2, making the distinction between wants and needs can accelerate the negotiation process. In their book Getting to Yes, ^[4] Fisher and Ury pointed out that arguing over positions tends to result in unwise agreements, is inefficient, and endangers the ongoing relationship. They showed that there is a better way to negotiate by satisfying both sides’ interests and needs. This means that learning how to assess the other side’s needs accurately is a critical skill. This is where your pull skills can help you with questioning and listening.