5 ms·

"Nibbles" are when you extend an agreement with further small concessions. Works best when the other side is under more pressure than you - they were happy to g

by neilk 14y ago

"Nibbles" are when you extend an agreement with further small concessions. Works best when the other side is under more pressure than you - they were happy to get to your yes, and the pain of losing your agreement is something they will avoid. "Expanding the pie" is more like changing the game. You have one thing you're negotiating on, and it's a zero-sum situation. One winner and one loser. But what if you bring other things into the negotiation, to turn that into a win-win situation? Then it's easier to find agreement.

S4M 14y ago
Yes, I get that, but "Nibbles" still seem like after having concluded some sort of initial deal, you "expand the pie" by asking new stuff (instead of negotiating on the salary, you negotiate on salary+holidays+benefits).
- kstenerud 14y ago
  It's called expanding the pie when a change in the terms of the negotiation generates an even greater win for all parties involved. The actual example in the podcast was over pumpkins. There was only one person selling pumpkins in the village the negotiator was in during her time in the Peace Corps. She wanted to buy all four of them but the farmer would only sell her two. She even tried offering double but the farmer wouldn't budge. The customer took the position of buying all four pumpkins because she needed them in order to make enough pumpkin pies. The farmer took the position of keeping two pumpkins because she needed the seeds to plant for next year's crop. Once they got out of positional bargaining and discovered the root of the problem, the solution became clear: The customer gets all 4 pumpkins at the original price, but first the farmer opens them all and takes the seeds, which the customer would have thrown out anyway. Thus, both got more than they would have if they'd stuck to their original positions.
- scott_s 14y ago
  Don't be confused by the fact that the meaning behind their names can be used in different contexts. You described "expanding my pie", while the intended meaning behind the name is "expanding everyone's pie".
- mmcnickle 14y ago
  Exactly. The difference is "nibbles" is getting more out of the other party after an initial agreement has been made. "Expanding the pie" is widening the scope of the negotiations in order to reach an agreement in the first place; within the parameters of the initial offering an agreement was never going to be made.

by neilk 14y ago

S4M 14y ago

Yes, I get that, but "Nibbles" still seem like after having concluded some sort of initial deal, you "expand the pie" by asking new stuff (instead of negotiating on the salary, you negotiate on salary+holidays+benefits).

kstenerud 14y ago
It's called expanding the pie when a change in the terms of the negotiation generates an even greater win for all parties involved. The actual example in the podcast was over pumpkins. There was only one person selling pumpkins in the village the negotiator was in during her time in the Peace Corps. She wanted to buy all four of them but the farmer would only sell her two. She even tried offering double but the farmer wouldn't budge. The customer took the position of buying all four pumpkins because she needed them in order to make enough pumpkin pies. The farmer took the position of keeping two pumpkins because she needed the seeds to plant for next year's crop. Once they got out of positional bargaining and discovered the root of the problem, the solution became clear: The customer gets all 4 pumpkins at the original price, but first the farmer opens them all and takes the seeds, which the customer would have thrown out anyway. Thus, both got more than they would have if they'd stuck to their original positions.
scott_s 14y ago
Don't be confused by the fact that the meaning behind their names can be used in different contexts. You described "expanding my pie", while the intended meaning behind the name is "expanding everyone's pie".
mmcnickle 14y ago
Exactly. The difference is "nibbles" is getting more out of the other party after an initial agreement has been made. "Expanding the pie" is widening the scope of the negotiations in order to reach an agreement in the first place; within the parameters of the initial offering an agreement was never going to be made.