Chapter 63

The Solutional Drive

The Solutional Drive is the best negotiating situation to be in. This is when the other side is eager to find a solution and is willing to discuss the best way to do that. It means nobody threatens the other side and both will negotiate in good faith to find a win-win solution. Solutional Drive negotiators are wide open to creative solutions because they feel there must be a better solution somewhere that hasn’t occurred to them. It takes an open mind to be creative. Look at the variables buyers and sellers could propose in as simple a transaction as buying a house. The cost of financing to the buyer could be adjusted by letting the buyer assume an underlying loan. The seller could carry back all the financing and remain liable for the underlying loan (called wrapping the underlying).

The buyer could accommodate the seller by giving them additional time to find another home. The seller could lease back the house from the buyer for an extended term. The price could include all or some of the furnishings. The sellers could retain a life estate in the house that would enable them to stay in the house until they died. This is a great idea for elderly people who need cash but don’t want to move. The broker’s fee could be eliminated, or the broker could be asked to take his fee as a note, rather than in cash. The buyer could move in but delay the closing to help the seller with their income taxes.

The great thing about negotiating with someone who is in the Solutional Drive is they have cast nothing in stone. They are not restricted by company policy or tradition, feeling that everything is negotiable because everything was negotiated. Short of breaking the law or their personal principles, they will listen to any suggestion you care to propose because they do not see you as in competition with them.

It sounds like the perfect solution doesn’t it? Both sides cooperating to find the perfect and fair solution. However, there is one caveat. The other side could be feigning when they appear to be in the Solutional Drive. Once you have put your cards on the table and told them exactly what you are prepared to do, they may revert to Competitive Drive negotiating. So, if it seems too good to be true, be wary.