Research Details

Abstract

The article reports on multiple equivalent simultaneous offers, or MESOs. Presenting more than one offer at a time increases the alliance's satisfaction as well as the odds that an agreement will be implemented. The term meso means combining form and middle in Greek, suggesting a balance between states; true to this connotation, MESOs allow both a profitable agreement and a positive interpersonal climate. Making MESOs requires that we create a scoring system that allows us to compare qualitatively different issues. For a job candidate preparing to present MESOs to a prospective employer, these might include compensation, location, and vacation days. MESOs allow you to secure an understanding of the other side's interests that we would be unlikely to ascertain through direct questioning. Through MESOs, we can detect whether one might be misrepresenting his perspective or inadvertently overstating his position. MESOs are an effective strategy at the beginning, middle, and end of the negotiation, allowing us to constantly anchor, learn, detect, persist, and reframe.

Type

Article

Author(s)

Date Published

2005

Citations

. 2005. Putting More on the Table: How Making Multiple Offers can Increase the Final Value of the Deal. Negotiation.(4): 3-5.