Where are we meeting?

Posted on February 19, 2008 | Filed Under Tactics | View the Print Version

Your place or mine? When setting a negotiation meeting do you do it at your location, your “adversary’s” location, or a “neutral corner”? Not long ago, in the news, we read, “The aircraft maker Airbus [was] among half a dozen companies to sign roughly $30 billion in contracts… with Chinese partners.” It happened in Beijing. Well, if you were getting your share of $30 billion, wouldn’t you be willing to travel? Yes, you would.

Taking a broader view, as professional negotiators we are mostly insensitive to location (ours or theirs), with a few exceptions. If you’ve done your homework and are well-prepared, there should be no “home field advantage” in terms of your negotiation results. However, if:

the right resource for one side or the other can only be in one place, go there
physical issues are likely to raise the odds of negotiation errors (extreme time change, for example), either go early enough to be rested, or make them come to you
logistics such as contract drafts are being handled by one side, and time is of the essence to you - go where the logistics will be smoother
you have been unable to get the information you need to prepare reasonably - try to have them come to you in case you need “surprise” resource or analysis
you know that it is important to the other side, but it isn’t to you - go to them (but consider if they should offer something in return, like $30 billion)

In the end, location shouldn’t matter. But certain factors - for example: fatigue, delay for logistics, or availability of the right team - will increase your sensitivity to location. Think about them when you set up your next negotiation. (TD)

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Where are we meeting?

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