Verbal De-escalation. Rules for Negotiating with an Uncooperative Patient

Professional negotiators who represent the entrepreneur or conduct talks on behalf of the company often take part in the negotiations. They become only representatives of a given economic unit, so they have predetermined decision-making powers. This means that on some issues they will not be able to negotiate binding arrangements. Their proposals will have to be confirmed by the management of a given organisation. Techniques and methods of negotiation in the case of doctor / difficult patient conversations are limited (limited influence / limited competences) consists in the fact that at some point in the talks the negotiator, i.e. the doctor, refers to the lack of decision-making in a given area. Thanks to such a move, one of the parties gains additional time, which can be spent on analysing the issue or devising a different negotiation strategy. The doctor can use many methods / tactics used at different stages of roms with a difficult patient. The classic methods can be used:

- enchantment of the recipient - the effect of the first impression (the interlocutor forms an opinion about us within the first several seconds after the meeting; facial expressions, greeting and gestures are important),

- self-presentation - exposing one's own merits (experienced doctor, strength, experience, calmness, emotional control and distance to the topic),

- puch - complimenting the opponent to make him more friendly to meet our expectations,

- the spring has dried up - presenting the proposal and emphasizing that this is our final position,

- change of topic - bringing the conversation to the side track, thanks to which we regain control over it,

- test balloon - disclosure of the decision by referring to a reliable source of information and checking the opponent's reaction,

- confession - using silence and giving the initiative to solve the problem to our opponent,

- poker - lack of emotions, resisting pressure and not betraying one's position,

- nice atmosphere - focusing on problems, not people, and on business, not positions, while treating opponents pleasantly,

- waiting - patience leading to waiting out the opponent,

- flight to the moon - making unrealistic demands on the opponent (confusing the interlocutor),

- high level - setting high requirements from the beginning in order to leave a lot of room for possible concessions,

- delayed express - postponing conversations with opponents and returning to them at a time convenient for us, using short technical breaks and postponing the conversation to another date,

- vice - firm rejection of the first offer with a simultaneous indication that the matter should be rethought by the opponent in a more competent way,

- dividing the difference - the opponent who first makes such an offer usually has less to lose,

- limited powers - referring to a higher authority and not being authorized to conclude a contract (experienced doctor).