Truth 13. Research the other party’s BATNA

If your feet are the key source of your bargaining power in a negotiation, bear in mind that the other party has feet, too.

It’s surprising to me how little research negotiators do on the other party. Negotiators become so self-absorbed with their own BATNAs that they often fail to think strategically about who’s on the other side of the table. This is even more perplexing when there is good data available, often publicly, about the other party.

In my first job, I was earning a rather low salary. “It’s okay....I’m doing what really counts,” I would tell myself. Fortunately, a fellow employee hinted to me that I might be underpaid. Salaries are a matter of public information at state and federal jobs. So I went to the library and spent several hours finding out exactly what everyone was paid. Then I did some further analysis of salaries based on gender, years of experience, field of study, and so on. Using the information, I made charts and graphs and plotted myself on them among several comparison points including performance. Then I made an appointment with my boss. I got a raise in less than two weeks.

If you don’t research your case, you may falsely assume that the other party’s BATNA is better than it is, which puts you in a position of weakness. Moreover, if you focus just on your own BATNA, you get anchored by it. Even if you don’t uncover relevant data about the other party’s BATNA, thinking about the other person’s BATNA dramatically improves your outcome.⁵

Here are the big five DO’s and DON’Ts when it comes to BATNAs:

▪ DON’T reveal your BATNA, except under special conditions.

▪ DO as much research as possible on the other party’s BATNA.

▪ DON’T engage in bidding wars but, DO make constant attempts to improve your BATNA.

▪ DON’T lie about your BATNA.

▪ DO signal to the other party that you have valuable alternative options.