By Alexandre Yokoyama

During my time at Google in Brazil and Singapore, I gained valuable experience building sales teams and navigating complex customer relationships. This led me to a new found passion – the startup ecosystem – and along the way I became actively involved in mentoring startups and sharing a lot of my experience in negotiation and customer acquisition.

Drawing on lessons learned from my legal practitioner father like syllogism and the importance of Observing the Unspoken, I came to understand the individual, departmental, and corporate-level Hidden Agendas that can influence business decisions. 

Currently, I have found only one book that discusses the topic at the individual level. However, based on my experience, I believe more meaningful business development can be achieved by those at the departmental as well as corporate level.

Uncovering hidden agendas is a subject that was popular among my mentees in the Singapore Management University (SMU) incubator group, and I’d like to share with you the seven key steps to start understanding it.

Understand the Layers of Hidden Agendas

• Hidden agendas can exist at the individual, departmental, or corporate level.
• Pay attention to what is not being said, as this can reveal the true motivations and goals of the other party.
• Observe recent decisions, which direction they pointed to, and estimate what they wanted to achieve

Ask the Right Questions

• Shift your focus from just listening to what the customer is saying to understanding what they want to achieve.
• Ask questions that uncover their underlying interests, intents, and the timing/moments that are important to them.

Recognize Asymmetric Information

• Perfect symmetry of information between buyer and seller can actually hinder negotiation.
• Understand that both sides may intentionally withhold certain information to maintain a strategic advantage.

Align Interests and Identify Misalignments

•  Strive to find common ground and shared interests between your offering and the customer’s needs.
•  Be alert to situations where the customer’s true interests may not align with what they are initially expressing.

Adapt Your Approach to Changing Moments

•  Recognize that a customer’s priorities and hidden agendas can shift over time, even within the same negotiation.
•   Be prepared to adjust your strategy and value proposition as the customer’s underlying motivations evolve.

Leverage Mentors and Industry Insights

• Seek out experienced mentors who can share their wisdom on uncovering hidden agendas.
•  Stay informed about industry trends and best practices that can inform your approach to customer acquisition.

Foster Transparency, but Respect Boundaries

• Aim for a level of transparency that builds trust, but understand that some information may need to remain asymmetric.
• Respect the customer’s need for confidentiality and privacy, while still probing for the insights you need.

Remember, uncovering hidden agendas is an ongoing process that requires a combination of active listening, strategic questioning, and adaptability. By mastering these best practices, you can improve your chances of successful customer acquisition.