Tag Archive for: 15 Smart Negotiating Techniques For Business Professionals.

3. Focus On Obtaining A Win-Win

Negotiation outcomes are win-win, win-lose and lose-lose. Should you want a win-win outcome, first decide on the wins that would work for you. Second, brainstorm potential wins that would appeal to the other side. Third, plan how these “opposing” positions could foster your win. At the negotiation, rearrange your steps. Learn the other’s desired win, roll out your plan, work through to win-win. – Rita Coco, Rita Coco Consulting

4. Make The Negotiation About Them

If you want something, you need to determine how what you want is good for the person that you want it from. If you can figure out how they will benefit from giving you what you want, then you have learned the most important tip in negotiation—you’re no longer negotiating. Now you have become good at presenting the value proposition of what you’re selling. – John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprises

5. Don’t Take It Personally

As a salary negotiation coach, my biggest advice for clients is to not take things personally. While a salary offer affects you personally (a lot!), the offer itself is not personal. What a company is willing to pay says far more about how they value the job than how they value you as a person. The more objectively you can look at the offer, the more effective you’ll be in negotiating your pay! – Kate Dixon, Dixon Consulting

6. Determine What You’re Worth

I recently helped a client who didn’t think she would get a salary increase because she was younger than most of her peers. I advised her to truly think about the value she brings to the firm, come up with what she believes that is worth and confidently point out to her boss that this is what she deserves. She got the entire amount, which was well over $50,000. – Eric Beaudan, Odgers Berndtson

7. Always Be Honest

Most negotiations focus on strategy and some degree of calculated manipulation. I believe in doing the opposite. Instead, I prepare for discussing the underlying elements of what I want, why I want it and why and how the other side would benefit from (letting me have) it, as well. By being honest, you are not merely being vulnerable, you are creating a climate of value and equitable exchange. – Candice Gottlieb-Clark, Dynamic Team Solutions

8. Never Take The First Offer

Especially on job offers, never settle for the first offer. There are a hundred different things you might want in your new job, and if you’ve accepted the original offer, you’re doing yourself and the company a huge disservice by starting the relationship without what you both want. – Brian M Harman, Business Management Hallmark

9. Embrace The ‘Pregnant Pause’

During negotiations, both parties outline their top priorities. Usually, more intense conversations follow, including discussions about deal-breaking terms. A great tip is to embrace the “pregnant pause” during negotiations, which is when both parties stop talking to reflect or plan their next step. Don’t talk first. See if the other party comes back with a better offer or option. – Karan Rhodes, Shockingly Different Leadership

10. Define Your Nonnegotiables

Negotiations can get very emotional, so remind yourself that you can always take a breath and take some time to consider your options. Of equal importance is your understanding of your nonnegotiables before you get into the negotiation, so you know what you need to protect. – Brad Elson, Palmer OSG

11. Get Comfortable Saying ‘No’

Being able to assertively say “no” to a request is an important skill for a leader to master. “No” holds power. “No” saves time and money. “No” is a verbal brick wall that stops the forward movement of a request or inquiry in its tracks. It has the power to end a negotiation or conversation in a split second. “No” can be used for convenience, while other times it can be used out of necessity. – G. Riley Mills, Pinnacle Performance Company

12. Let Go Of The Outcome

It sounds counterintuitive; however, it’s easy to walk into a negotiation with a firm or fixed idea of what “must happen.” Letting go of desired outcomes leaves you free to listen to the other party and explore possibilities. Know your boundaries, what you can and cannot do, but don’t be so fixed on what you want that you can’t hear or think of alternative options. – Alex Rufatto Perry, Practically Speaking, LLC

13. Understand The Big Picture

During negotiations, it is important to understand the big picture. Be curious and gain an understanding of the other person’s perspective and what they are trying to achieve. The information gained can be used to have meaningful communication among the involved parties and shape the negotiation process to your advantage by generating creative solutions that meet the interests of all parties involved. – Jonathan Silk, Bridge 3 LLC

14. Focus On Your Counterpart’s Emotions

You need to accept the fact that emotions are involved in negotiations and you will be more successful when you start focusing on your counterpart’s emotions. Try to understand their motivations, expectations and fears. Acknowledge their feelings through positive body language, active listening and summarizing what they say. This attention to emotions lays the groundwork for joint success. – Antonia Bowring, ABstrategies LLC

15. Ask Questions And Listen

Knowing what drives the other person always stacks the odds in your favor. Ask good questions and really listen so you know exactly what they value most. When you know what excites them, you can tailor the conversation in a way that resonates most effectively and better anticipates their needs and potential objections. Once you’re on the same page, dazzle them with how you’ll deliver. – Erin Miller, Erin Miller INC