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Negotiation
Tips
Whether
it』s with an employer, family member or business, we all negotiate
for things each day like higher salary, better service or solving a
dispute with a coworker or family member. Here are some negotiation
skills, techniques and strategies to help you handle these
situations more effectively.
1.
Know Thyself
When you
go into a negotiation, take a personal inventory. How do you feel
about negotiation? Do you want to get it over fast? If so,
you may give in too quickly, or give away too much. Or, do you want
to win, no matter what the cost? If so, you may become adversarial
and damage the relationship.
2.
Do Your Homework
Know who
you』re negotiating with before you begin. What』s his or her
reputation as a negotiator? Win/Win model or Win/Lose model? Does
the person want to negotiate with you (Oh Boy!), dread the
negotiation (Oh No), or is this a neutral situation (Show Me)
3.
Practice Double and Triple Think
It s not
enough to know what you want out of negotiation. You also need to
anticipate what the other party wants (double think). The smart
negotiator also tries to anticipate what the other party thinks you
want (triple think).
4.
Build Trust
Negotiation
is a highly sophisticated form of communication. Without trust,
there won』t be communication. Instead you』ll have manipulation
and suspicion masquerading as communication. Be trustworthy. Honor
your commitments. Tell the truth. Respect confidences.
5.
Develop External Listening
Most
people carry on an inner dialogue with themselves. When you』re
trying to communicate with someone else, this inner dialogue becomes
a problem because you can』t listen internally and externally at
the same time. When you negotiate, turn off your inner voice and
only listen externally. You won』t miss important nonverbal
messages, facial expressions of voice inflections, when you listen
externally.
6.
Move Beyond Positions
It』s
risky to make yourself vulnerable to someone. That』s why in a
negotiation you begin by stating your position. Later, when
the trust has deepened, you and the other party can risk more
honesty and identify your true interests. As a negotiator, it
is your responsibility to ask questions that will uncover the needs
or interests of the other party. If you』ve also done your job of
creating a supportive climate, you』re more likely to get honest
answers.
7.
Own Your Power
Don』t
assume that because the other party has one type of power, e.g.
position power, that he or she is all-powerful. That』s giving away
your power! Balance power by assessing the other parties source(s)
of power, and then your own. While there are many sources of power,
they all break down into two categories; internal power and external
power. The former no one can take away from you and includes your
personal power, level of self-esteem, and self-confidence.
External
power fluctuates with your situation. If you』re laid off or
demoted you can lose position power, for example. If new technology
is introduced, you can lose your expertise power. Because the
dynamics of power are so changeable, a negotiation is never dead. Be
patient; the power dynamics may shift.
8.
Know Your BATNA
BATNA
stands for Best Alternative to A Negotiated Agreement. The acronym
comes out of the research on negotiation conducted by the Harvard
Negotiation Project. Before you begin a negotiation, know what your
options are. Can you walk away from the deal? What other choices do
you have? What are the pros and cons of each choice? Don't stop
here. Also consider the BATNA of the other party.
9.
Know What a Win Is
What is
your best case scenario? What is your worst case scenario? The area
in between is called your settlement range. If you can reach
an agreement within your settlement range, that』s a Win! Don』t
drop below your bottom line; you』ll feel bad about yourself and
the deal afterwards, and you may not follow-through on your
commitments.
10.
Enjoy the Process
Negotiation
is a process, not an event. There are predictable steps preparation,
creating the climate, identifying interests, and selecting outcomes
that you will go through in any negotiation. With practice, you will
gain skill at facilitating each step of the process. As your skill
increases, you』ll discover that negotiating can be fun.
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