Power ( Part 13) - The Power of Precedent
Dear Readers in this Part "The Power of Precedent" we will see this Power with respect to the Sears Refrigerator situation.
When I said that most people believe they can't negotiate with a one-price store. If I ask them why, they reply, "Why else would they call it a One-Price Store?"
I also said: Don't act as though your limited experience represents universal truths. Force yourself to go outside your experience by testing you assumptions. Don't lock yourself into time-worn ways of doing things.
It's easy to lock yourself in - or to get locked in by others - because one aspect of the power of precedent is based on a "Don't make waves," "You can't argue with success," and "We've always done it this way" outlook.
This aspect stems from applying pressure to do things the way they're currently being done... or to do things the way they were done before.
Current and Past Customs, Policies, and Practices are considered sacred. They're presented as the only way to do things. "Change" is a dirty six-letter word.
For Example, one of the thorniest tasks facing a new President in Washington, a new corporation head in any business, or a new leader of any Long-Established Organization, is changing deeply ingrained Past Practices.
After the 1968 election, Richard Nixon proclaimed, "It's Time to Get Big Government off your back and out of your pocket!" A few weeks later he proposed the biggest federal budget in the nation's history.
But here's another aspect of the Power of Precedent. It can be used as an excuse for change. When the United Auto Workers in the United States achieved a 7% Pay Increase in their Contract, the Canadian Auto Workers, Using the United States example as justification, promptly negotiated for and achieved the same pay increase.
The Logic Involved was simple: "There's our Model. They got it; we should get it too."
The Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, publicly announced that all policemen and firemen going on strike would be fired. They went on strike and Lost their jobs. Several Days Later, a settlement was reached and the Mayor Reinstated them.
Consequently, the Chicago firefighters went on strike, with the expectation that even if they were suspended, they were likely to be reinstated after a settlement was reached. Subsequent Events Proved them Correct.
In other words, if people at point A do something and people at Point B learn about it, it affects the way people at point B act. Information spreads fast. We're all tuned to the same TV station.
So if you're trying to control a situation and you don't want what happens at A to influence what happens at B, be prepared to show people at B why their set-up differs from the A set-up.
While avoiding being "Taken In" by the Power of Precedent, use this Power to your advantage. To justify what you're doing or asking for, always refer to other situations similar to the one you're currently in, where you or others did so-and-so, and the result you wanted occured.
For Instance, if you're at a Retail Outlet, trying to negotiate the Price of an Item so it's Less of a Drain on your Wallet, and the salesperson says, "I'm sorry- you know we don't Negotiate!" what do you do?
You say, "Wait a minute-of course you do! I bought a Hammer here, in your Hardware Section, Just 2 weeks ago. It was chipped, and the clerk gave me $2 off!"
Use the binding "Logic" of popular tradition, though the tradition actually may be illogical. If you're buying an appliance or a car, say, "I want last year's Model, not this year's." Why do you say this? Because everyone knows that Last Year's Model is Cheaper than this year's, even though last year's model may be in Mint Condition.
Do you know the difference between a 1980 and a 1981 Refrigerator Model? Perhaps one has Tail Fins. In Dollars-and-Cents Terms, the Concept doesn't hold water if the Model or Appliance hasn't been used, but folklore and Precedent are heavily in your favor.
Cash in on them.
Dear Readers that is what is called "The Power of Precedent". Next, we will be discussing about:
"The Power of Persistence"
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