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PharmaDeals Business Commentary

Good Cop:Bad Cop in Negotiations (2006-09-01)

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I am often asked whether the tactic of Good Cop:Bad Cop is used successfully in negotiating deals and I have heard some people claim that they have used this approach successfully. So what is the tactic of Good Cop:Bad Cop? The police or the military largely use the technique for interrogating suspects or the enemy. The idea is to extract information, and the technique involves two members of the interrogating team who take different approaches to a line of questioning. The 'Bad Cop' takes an aggressive, accusative and negative stance towards the subject. This would include the use of derogatory comments and threats, and the idea is to threaten the subject with harm unless they are forthcoming. The 'Good Cop' adopts a more sympathetic and supportive approach towards the subject, so building trust, and then offers the subject a means for avoiding harm from the 'Bad Cop' if the subject is willing to provide information.

The majority of those negotiating alliances in the pharmaceutical industry are looking for a true Win:Win that will last beyond the date of the agreement. This is vital because a continued relationship between the parties is required as the alliance unfolds. At first glance it is obvious that such a Good Cop:Bad Cop technique would undermine trust and quickly destroy the chances of a deal. After all one is trying to negotiate an agreement and not force the other side to do something they will regret later.

"I know of many business development executives who have experienced an attempt by negotiators to play 'Good Cop:Bad Cop' tactics. Only a very few have been successful, ... ."

I know of many business development executives who have experienced an attempt by negotiators to play 'Good Cop:Bad Cop' tactics. Only a very few have been successful, and these successes have been claimed by those who contend to have used the technique themselves. It is possible, however, to use the technique in renegotiation or when there is conflict, because without resolution of the issue the outcome could be harmful for both parties. A threat by one side that a negative outcome is forthcoming unless negotiations progress can help the other party to focus on a suitable resolution.

To conclude, I do question whether the negotiators in some of these allegedly successful cases were truly using 'Good Cop:Bad Cop' tactics. The 'Good Cop:Bad Cop' technique can be confused with the 'Relaxed Cop:Focused Cop' approach. This a technique where one of the team adopts an open relaxed style that allows the discussions to be creative and enables terms to be created for a possible agreement, while the other member of the team adopts a focused, practical, assertive and firm approach to negotiation which enables their side to keep and serve their interests in the agreement.

Fintan Walton

Chief Executive Officer

PharmaVentures Ltd