Just one more thing...

For those of you not old enough to remember, Lieutenant Columbo was an American homicide detective TV character from the 1970s. Despite his unassuming appearance, he was often underestimated by the main suspect, by lulling them into a false sense of security about his suspicions of their guilt. He was a shrewd, intelligent and detailed investigator who left no stone unturned. Columbo’s catch phrase – “just one more thing” – was a tactic he employed having made his “false exit” from the scene. This “thing” – an apparently inconsequential issue to the suspect (who thinks they’re off the hook) - is of course known by the audience to be the primary damning piece of evidence that will secure a conviction. The protagonist drops their guard, revealing some additional information and Columbo pounces.

So, what’s this got to do with negotiation? Well, the “Columbo” is a well known tactic used by negotiators the world over. This is the act of slipping in one final demand (the big issue) after the other party thinks the deal is done. For example, you’ve just agreed the sale of an expensive piece of machinery to your customer who proceeds to say “of course, I’m assuming that the monthly service and maintenance plan for the next 3 years is included in the price”. You had not agreed this, but this fresh demand threatens the conclusion of the sale. You’re now under pressure to either agree with this request or go through a potentially lengthy re-negotiation. You would be well advised to do the latter. Weak negotiators will cave in to save time and the hassle of more talks, but at great expense to the business. Strong negotiators will recognise the tactic, reject the offer and work with their counterpart to re-shape the deal for mutual benefit.

Beware the Columbo the next time you negotiate and stay in control of your deals.