In every negotiation, power is present. But in most organizations, it's misunderstood, underestimated, or misused.
Too many sellers walk in convinced the buyer holds the leverage, treating their own sources of power as invisible.
RED BEAR’s Situational Negotiation Skills™ (SNS™) calls this a perception problem. Sellers often approach negotiations with anxiety, which can hinder their performance and further distort their perception of power.
According to the Situational Negotiation Skills™ framework, power is not dominance. It is not aggression, and is not something the other side “has.”
Power is your ability to influence outcomes by analyzing and managing the complete set of factors that shape the negotiation. It’s a disciplined capability that can be built, coached, and reinforced.
SNS™ teaches that most negotiators dramatically underestimate their power by focusing on their constraints and ignoring the buyer’s. This imbalance shapes behavior: when negotiators feel weak, they concede too quickly, discount prematurely, and collapse under pressure. At the negotiation table, these power dynamics become most visible, influencing every move and decision.
But Situational Negotiation Skills™ reframes the entire dynamic: Power is relative, situational, and largely self-created. It comes from preparation, alternatives, clarity, and conviction, not dominance.
RED BEAR’s research shows that high performers consistently outperform others because they recognize the full spectrum of power available to them, even when tension rises. They do not rely on one source. They build a portfolio of leverage. Preparation is crucial because it clarifies the buyer’s needs and constraints, which strengthens a seller’s leverage.
RED BEAR defines a more profound and more practical view of power, one rooted in capability, not aggression. Sellers have far more leverage than they think, especially when they can identify and apply all five sources:
Deadlines, constraints, alternatives, and external pressures that influence timing or outcomes. To fully leverage situational power, it is crucial to understand the buyer's needs, concerns, and constraints, as these factors often shape the negotiation process and outcomes. High performers investigate both sides’ constraints, not just their own. Understanding the buyer’s constraints and internal decision dynamics enables sellers to anticipate moves and shape the negotiation.
What you know, what you choose to reveal, and what you skillfully uncover. Identifying the other party’s needs is essential, as understanding their specific challenges and needs can significantly strengthen your information power in negotiations.
This reflects one of the core SNS™ practices: Manage Information Skillfully.
Strength, reputation, capability, and credibility of your company. Most sellers undervalue this because they focus on their internal complexities rather than their influence in the marketplace. A high-performing sales team strengthens organizational power by demonstrating expertise, consistency, and capability.
Conviction, discipline, presence, and comfort with negotiation tension. Situational Negotiation Skills™ treats this as a behavior-based capability that can be developed. Comfort with negotiation tension plays a crucial role in developing and exercising personal power during negotiations, enabling negotiators to manage their emotions and understand others' perspectives to achieve better outcomes. Relationship Behaviors support trust and alignment, which are foundational to successful negotiations.
Clear targets. Clear boundaries. Clear alternatives. Identifying your best alternative before entering negotiations is essential, as it strengthens your planning power and ensures you do not settle for unfavorable terms.
SNS™ emphasizes that 10 minutes of disciplined planning creates more power than 10 hours of improvisation. Preparation is a significant factor in sales negotiation success, as it allows negotiators to approach discussions with clarity and confidence.
In SNS™, these five sources form a system. They reinforce one another and remain available in every negotiation, regardless of the buyer’s authority or commercial pressure.
There is a reason SNS™ includes both range and strength. Power without discipline creates distrust. Power without strategy creates conflict. Power without awareness collapses the Collaborative and Creative dimensions of the SNS™ model.
RED BEAR teaches negotiators to apply power with intention, not force. The goal is not to “win.” The goal is to shape the negotiation so both parties can reach a mutually beneficial agreement. One that is profitable, sustainable, and satisfies the actual needs of both parties.
When power is used poorly, sellers experience predictable consequences:
Escalating tension that turns destructive instead of productive.
Buyers who feel pressured, not aligned. Alignment is critical to avoid these adverse outcomes and to ensure both parties are working toward a mutually beneficial solution.
Short-term deals that erode margins and relationships.
A collapse in trust, followed by a collapse in value.
Applying power effectively means recognizing that trust and tension coexist. Both are necessary. Both can be managed.
RED BEAR’s data shows that world-class negotiators behave differently under pressure: High performers assert needs and build alignment. They also build relationships to foster trust, collaboration, and long-term success in negotiations. Low performers, on the other hand, often use power in ways that damage trust and relationships.
Uncertainty weakens power. Clarity strengthens it. Active listening ensures both parties fully understand each other's expectations, fostering clear communication and stronger negotiation outcomes.
Targets, walkaways, alternatives, and negotiables are predetermined and not invented under stress. They anchor the negotiation with disciplined preparation. Anchoring helps set expectations and direction early in the negotiation by establishing the initial terms.
The SNS™ Model teaches that competitive and collaborative dynamics coexist. High performers assert needs and build alignment.
Instead of dissolving discomfort, they use it to uncover needs, explore options, and create mutual value. By maintaining productive tension, negotiators can collaboratively problem-solve with their counterparts, addressing issues together and finding innovative solutions that strengthen long-term relationships.
Power enables trades. Weakness creates giveaways.
Small, planned concessions can demonstrate flexibility while preserving value, but it is essential to ensure they do so and guide the negotiation toward a positive outcome.
This is the essence of RED BEAR’s approach: Power used strategically creates trust, clarity, and better commercial outcomes.
“What power do I have in this situation that I’m not currently using?”
High performers ask this before every negotiation. Average performers ask it too late, usually after the value has already disappeared.
SNS™ gives sellers a repeatable method to surface, assess, and apply all the leverage available to them, ensuring they use the full range of their leverage with discipline, clarity, and confidence.
That's not a theory. It is a measurable capability. And it is one of the reasons RED BEAR clients consistently report more substantial margins, healthier relationships, and less internal friction.
RED BEAR’s Situational Negotiation Skills™ is not about dominance. It is about awareness, discipline, and professional conviction.
In RED BEAR’s framework, real power comes from:
Preparation
Alternatives
Information
Clarity
Confidence
Tension management
When negotiators understand and apply these sources with discipline, they stop reacting to pressure and start shaping outcomes. This disciplined approach consistently produces stronger, more sustainable agreements.
That's what Situational Negotiation Skills™ makes possible. This is how organizations transform negotiation from a one-time event into a sustained business capability.
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