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Negotiation via Text Messaging
Noam Ebner
Editors’ Note: “Never!” That’s the typical reply, says the author, when he queries a negotiator about negotiating through text messages. Not so fast, Ebner says—look closely at how your day goes and how your various forms of communication fit together, and you may well find yourself already handling part of that traffic via text. Furthermore, he says, in the future you can expect to use this medium more, as more and more of your counterparts depend on it. Yet negotiating via text is significantly different even from email negotiation. Ebner walks you through the assets, and the liabilities.
Negotiation via Text—Who, Me?
Many professionals I speak with regarding negotiation via text messaging are surprised, saying they would never commit negotiation processes to this medium. I don’t press the point. But if I did, I’d recall hearing the same responses ten years ago, with regards to negotiating via email, and that they petered out quickly as use of this medium spread [see NDR: Ebner, Email]. With young professionals and students, on the other hand, any surprise is limited to “Hey, that’s right—I never thought of it that way!” If any of the three conversations captured below is familiar to you, you already negotiate via text messaging. If not, I’d suggest, you will in the future—and soon. ....
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For full contents please purchase The Negotiator’s Desk Reference.
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References
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