Another common sales tactic. The salesman tries to get you emotionally invested so you think well, I’ve come 80% of the way, mind as well go the extra 30%.
For all negotiations, it is useful to remember the concept of “BATNA” or Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. Essentially, what that means is the outcome that would result from simply walking away from the negotiations.
Are you better off simply walking away?
If you enter into a negotiation where you have a number of alternative options, you could be said to have a “strong” BATNA. For example, a salary negotiation when you already have multiple lucritive job offers in hand.
If you don’t have a lot of alternatives or walking away from a settlement is unavailable or unacceptible, you have a weak BATNA. I.E. negotiating a deal with the DA when you were found with cash, 20 kg of coke and a bloody knife in your trunk.
Thanks!
a) Inpatient, expensive private locked-ward behavior-mod tank called Deer Park Psychiatric Hospital on the outskirts of Houston. (Hello, Dr. Jason Baron! Still having those temper problems?)
b) An interesting little weekend on a campout with a couple hundred peopel who were all members of Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church.
c) A similarly interesting weekend on retreat with my then-girlfriend at a LifeSpring gathering, to see this thing she said had “totally changed her life”.
Get a hold of Homicide by David Simon. One of the most revealing (and entertaining) parts of the book is when he explains the contempt that police have for criminals and just how abysmally stupid the criminals are. The cops have a saying, “Crime makes you stupid.” and they openly laugh at the BS that suspects lap up.
The FBI Crime Classification Manual has a chapter on how to extract confessions from criminals that is very interesting.
If I was stuck in this type of situation, say having to purchase something from a vendor and I don’t have a good substitute, I’d try to appeal to a higher authority. Go over the heads of the good guy/bad guy and only deal with the higher authority. Explain to the higher authority that you’re not going to play good guy/bad guy, it is unprofessional and that you’re seriously considering another supplier.
You are assuming that a) there is a higher authority b) you can reach him and c) he gives a shit. He could easily be a part of their negotiation strategy as well.
There also seems to be a lot of assumptions here (not just you) that you can simply call “good cop / bad cop!!” and your opposition will be like “well played…I guess I’ll deal with you straight from now on”.
To learn more about practical applications of cult-like values, try reading Built to Last: Successful Habbits of Visionary Companies. It was handed out for free at an internet dot-com consulting firm I worked at years ago. It goes into great detail about setting up an almost cult-like work environment complete with oastracising nonconformity and establishing legendary folklore around corporate management.
I just had the experience of buying a used car, and, of course, got the “good” salesperson and the “bad” manager schtick. I have heard that the reason they take you into their office and make you wait is to isolate you and to “control” the transaction.
I did then what I do in all these situations (being pressured to buy something, negotiating a price). I cook up my own “bad cop”.
I agree with everything anyone says (yes it’s a great deal. Yes, I’d love to invest in a time share, etc. etc. ) HOWEVER, there’s this “bad cop” reason why I can’t make the purchase at this time. Since 99% of a salesperson’s tactics are to get you to say that you want the item - they have no response when you tell them that you DO want the item, BUT you’re still not buying it.
In the most recent case, my bad cop was the insurance company. I had a check from them because my car had been totaled. So I told the salesperson I had a certain amount to spend. She told me she had a car that was priced almost $3,000 more, but thought she could talk the manager into giving it to me for what I wanted to spend because it wasn’t moving and was about to go to auction anyhow.
Long story short - I heard all her song and dance. I heard how she “talked” the manager into giving it to me for $1700 less than advertised, how they were gonig to lose money on it, etc. etc. I tol her over and over that I’d love to give her what they were asking - BUT all I had was this check for a certain amount. It was that or nothing. They finally sold me the car for only $100 more than my original figure.
Then I listened to the warranty dude. Again, I completely agreed with him that warranties were a great idea and that any reasonable person would get one in a heart beat. I told him I’d happily get one if my total bill at the end of the day was the amount the insurance company sent me. No deal.
One time I was giving a technical interview and the candidate had absolutely no clue. Essentially I became the “bad cop” in his mind because he could not answer the standard technical questions we ask all candidates.
He then asked the more affable behavioral interviewer if he was the “good cop”.
He basically was not hired for not having the right skillset but also for asking an idotic question as if we don’t compare notes.
In a police situation , almost all the time now things are being recorded , so you want to break the cycle.
What the cops want you to do is to be in shock and therefore maleable , telling you all sorts of dire things regarding how much time you might do , how the DA or the Crown will be willing to reason if you fess up and make a nice neat report so the detectives in question don’t end up adding another case to the already burgeoning caseload.
I think most of the time , only innocent people and first timers really ever give the cops that much of a hard time that they resort to the good/bad cop stick. Most career criminals tend to basically give up and go with the flow, they have been there before and are going to try and get the best plea deal.
I don’t know about American jurisdictions , but at least here in Ontario the clock starts when you get busted and they have 72 hours to lay charges and have you before the judge for a preliminary, so its in the cops best interests to force a speedy resolution.
Saying that you think your having heart problems ,while under interogation is probably a sure way to have you on your way to the hospital to get checked out , and allow you a bit more time to calm down and start to plan objectively.
Never try to play “good cop vs bad cop” - both cops are on the same team and you’re the one on the other side. Always remember that.
The best thing to do is keep your eye on the prize. Know what it is you want and stay focused on that. Don’t let the “bad cop” intimidate you. But even more so, don’t let the “good cop” make you feel obligated - that’s the real key of how this game works.
And remember, it is a game. These guys are playing roles to manipulate you. Don’t assume you’re dealing with their real personalities - I’m a nice guy but I usually play “bad cop” at work because it works better (I usually outrank the “good cop” and the act works better that way) and I play it well - I’ve made grown men cry.
I should point out that the “good cop / bad cop” game can actually be played by a single individual. Take picking up women. I’ve seen lots of instances where a guy will be a total obnoxious prick. He will then switch gears and be charming and applologetic. Basically the woman will have intense feelings of dislike followed by feelings of “maybe I was wrong about him”. This can be much more effective than a steady feeling of “meh…he’s ok”.
Or in a professional or academic environment. Often a student or employee who is troublesome but then dramatically changes his behavior is given more credit than one who has been performing adequately all along.
This has the effect of focusing attention on that individual and then giving managers or teachers a positive reinforcement when their “efforts” to improve that individual pay off.