Despite what you may think, people are not “born negotiators”. It is a skill that is practiced and honed. Mastering negotiating may take time, but I have compiled 10 easy steps to help you speed up becoming a better negotiator.
Before we get to the 10 easy steps to becoming a better negotiator, it’s important to understand the basic fundamentals of negotiating. Let’s start with understanding negotiating 101.
There are 5 pillars to successful negotiating that you must understand before you can learn to master it and they are: placing emphasis on common points; presenting clear arguments; being innovative and open to several options; focusing on the problem being dealt with; looking for a clear solution. It’s important you have a clear vision of your preferred outcome, but you must be willing to compromise to some extent to ensure both sides are content.
Communication is another critical skill needed in negotiating. Not only do you have to clearly communicate, but you also have to have a fairly good understanding of the human mind, feelings and basic human function. You have to make the other side feel comfortable and open but also know when to push, when to pull and when to hold still. Another key take away is the 3 F’s of great negotiating – Fair, Fast and Firm!
So are you ready to learn what it takes? Here are the 10 easy steps to becoming a strong negotiator:
1. Focus on the problem/issue. If you want a smooth negotiation, don’t let your emotions get in the way! Logical arguments make things much smoother.
2. Know when to be firm! But still remain polite when holding your ground or making a point. Remember, they are still human beings on the other side.
3. Spell out the advantages and disadvantages clearly. (For both sides!)
4. Negotiations take time… Be patient. It may take time to come to the right agreements.
5. Keep your ego in check! Remember, it’s not about you. It’s about the issues you are negotiating. The solution is the answer, not trying to prove your self-worth.
6. Keep your ethics in check. Threatening or manipulating the other party is not only unfair, it’s just plain wrong. Even if it’s a “win”, it’s actually a “lose”. Don’t do it!
7. Keep it geared to interest based solutions. Although it may seem easy to aim for negotiating your desires, it’s best to look at the situation as a whole and come up with an outcome that favors the bigger picture.
8. Don’t be closed minded. It’s easy to keep your mind shut if you are using psychological tricks, but remember, an open mind creates a better outcome than a closed one!
9. Don’t just settle for the sake of settling. Accepting a weak solution just to get something worked out is not the right answer. It’s important you work hard to get a permanent solution that everyone can be happy with long term, not just some quick easy solution.
10. Don’t waste others time and energy. You aren’t the only important person in the world. Remember that if you find yourself starting to abuse others time schedules or deadlines. A strong negotiator doesn’t waste other’s time by playing games or tricks. You are a professional, so act like one. Get down to the business at hand and get things done!
So next time you find yourself negotiating something in your personal or business life, remember these 10 steps. Remember that negotiating is a skill that is learned and practiced and if you commit to mastery, you can get the things you want in life for yourself, your family and your clients with ease.
To you and your success,
Ryan Smith – Chief Content Creator