Important Tips to Remember When Negotiating

Winning Negotiations

Jun 9, 2009 Jacqueline Trovato

Whether we are aware of it or not, we all negotiate on a daily basis in both our personal and professional lives.

And with the current recession, many people are finding themselves in a position where they need to negotiate more often to cut costs. In both our personal and professional lives there are many opportunities to save money through skillful negotiation.

There Is A Right and Wrong Way to Negotiate

But while we may be unwitting experts, there is a right and wrong way to negotiate. The former leads to favorable results, the latter means walking away with nothing or much less than you bargained for. As Americans, most of us hate to negotiate. It makes us uncomfortable. There are some subtle tips most people are not aware of when it comes to negotiating. James C. Thomas, Jr., an expert on negotiation and author of the best-selling book Negotiate to Win, offers the following tips to remember in any negotiation.

Persuade First. Persuasion is much less expensive than negotiation. When trying to persuade, your "bargaining" chips are reasons. Sometimes, it works quickly. Other times, it doesn't work at all. But always persuade first. When that fails, then negotiate.
Think: Win-Win. If looking to maximize results, enter negotiation with the intention to benefit both parties. It's the only thing that works. It's not a matter of altruism, morality or ethics. Win-lose negotiation is nonsense. A counterpart simply will not let it happen.
Open Assertively. The exact boundary between making an assertive offer and a ridiculous one varies with every negotiation and negotiator. Starting high is good, and starting higher is better, but only to a point. When higher becomes too high, it then becomes destructive. A counterpart may view this as insulting, frivolous or ignorant.
Don't Say No. Don't be lazy. Instead say, "Yes...if." When the other side requests something, it's not a problem but an opportunity to get a concession in return. If the other side rejects the offer they also reject the concession that was offered.
Be a Shark. Attack issues like a cold-blooded marine hunter. Only the final handshake seals the deal. Until then, all issues remain open. If progress is not being made on one issue, skip it and move on to another.
Flip It Over. When a counterpart makes an offer that's unreasonable, don't make a counter-offer. Instead, throw the ball back in their court with a "krunch" such as, "We're definitely getting warmer. What else can we do on this?" A krunch costs nothing. Every concession has a price.

For more information on negotiating, visit Common Ground Seminars on the Web.

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