{"id":12848,"date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotwork.com\/nz\/blog-nz\/test-balloons\/"},"modified":"2023-02-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T00:00:00","slug":"test-balloons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotwork.com\/nz\/blog-nz\/2023\/test-balloons\/","title":{"rendered":"Test balloons"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article__content\">\n<p>Lately, there\u2019s been a lot of talk about balloons. In all honesty, I had no idea how much old technology is still used to do so many things, from studying weather patterns to spying on other countries. It got me thinking about using balloons in negotiations. While a bouquet of balloons (or balloon animals) might bring levity to the conversation, I\u2019m thinking more about the use of test balloons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In negotiations, we frequently find that people are reluctant to share information or take action because they just don\u2019t know what to do, or they\u2019re fearful of their next step. That fear usually comes from another fear: the other side\u2019s reaction. Concern about getting a negative response can be paralyzing. Confidence comes when people get a better sense of how the other side might react. This is where a test balloon can come in handy.<\/p>\n<p>Test balloons are used to gauge interest in or reaction to an idea. An idea gets floated out, much like a balloon. If it\u2019s well-received, it may continue its progress. If it\u2019s not, it can easily be abandoned or \u201cpopped.\u201d In a negotiation, this can be an extremely useful technique for evaluating the direction in which you may want to take the conversation. There are several ways to employ a test balloon . . .<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use hypothetical statements.<\/strong>\u00a0Creating a hypothetical scenario to which someone can react is a safe way to explore the space. For instance, instead of telling someone that you\u2019re going to do something, try saying, \u201cJust suppose I could do this. Would you be willing to do . . . ?\u201d This opens the door to ideas while also offering an opportunity to gauge reaction. If you get a favorable response, continue exploring. If you don\u2019t, change the hypothetical till you do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use qualifying language.<\/strong>\u00a0When making statements, people frequently use qualifying language unintentionally. When it\u2019s utilized intentionally, however, it can be a valuable tool for assessing how favorably something might be received. Qualifying language usually begins with a qualifying action, such as, \u201cWe\u00a0<em>can likely<\/em>\u00a0do . . .\u201d or \u201cWe\u00a0<em>likely can\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0do . . .\u201d Depending upon the other side\u2019s reaction, you can test how\u00a0<em>likely<\/em>\u00a0you are to proceed with that idea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use either\/or choices.<\/strong>\u00a0This one\u2019s really powerful when you\u2019re trying to test which concept or idea might be more favorable to the other side. It\u2019s as simple as putting forth a choice: \u201cWould you like to do A or B?\u201d Their response will help you understand their priorities and preferences, which you can then use to put forward something more definitive.<\/p>\n<p>The more information we have, the better position we\u2019ll be in to navigate the jet streams of a negotiation. These test-balloon techniques allow you to try out an idea, gauge reaction, and adjust accordingly. This, in turn, will help you understand more about the other side, reducing fear regarding how they might react. Happy ballooning!<br\/><br\/><br\/><strong>We Can Help Your Negotiators Test the Other Side\u2019s Reaction.<\/strong><br\/>Is your team reluctant to share information or take action because they don\u2019t know how the other side will react? Concern about getting a negative response can be paralyzing. We can help! Drawing on nearly 50 years of real-world negotiating experience, we\u2019ll assist you with getting better deals, saving time, and creating value for all involved \u2014 not to mention preserving and even strengthening relationships. Let us partner you with one of our advisers, ensuring that you\u2019ve got the broadest view of your deal.<\/p>\n<p>Talk to one of our experts<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:info@scotwork.co.nz\">info@scotwork.co.nz<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>P: 04 2979069<\/p>\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lately, there\u2019s been a lot of talk about balloons. In all honesty, I had no idea how much old technology is still used to do so many things, from studying weather patterns to spying on other countries. It got me thinking about using balloons in negotiations. While a bouquet of balloons (or balloon animals) might&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":12849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_legacy_url":"blog-nz\/2023\/test-balloons\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Test balloons | Scotwork NZ Negotiation Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"World leaders in business negotiation training and consultancy with experts across 120 countries, with negotiation courses taught in 29 languages.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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