Become a skillful negotiator
In a social environment where people are constantly engaged, communicating and negotiating correctly and effectively is one of the essential skills.
Negotiations form a considerable part of our communication and one can pursue different aims by means of negotiations. They can be conducted to conclude agreements at the state level, between different types of businesses, or even in everyday life directly between individuals.
Effective negotiations require expertise in both planning and tactics. Therefore, keep reading to learn about a set of tactical techniques aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions for the parties in disagreement.
Establish rapport. Studies have shown that even a short small talk at the beginning of a negotiation can help smooth the process and create a more relaxed atmosphere. This way, you can better set yourself and your partner up for cooperation and be more likely to reach an agreement faster.
Stay focused and unemotional. The ability to control your emotions is one of the keys to successful negotiations. Quite often, negotiations can gain intense momentum. However, timely awareness of the situation and taming over-emotionality will allow you to think objectively and conduct the conversation calmly and, most importantly, in the desired direction.
Know your needs. When planning a negotiation, it is crucial to identify the most significant points that need to be achieved and try not to neglect them under any circumstances. You also should outline some secondary points that would let you make minor concessions and could serve as a bargaining chip on the way to compromises.
Get prepared. Improvisation is not considered the best method of negotiation. Before sitting down to negotiate, opponents spend a lot of time developing a BATNA, or a “best alternative to a negotiated agreement.” This may turn out to be your good backup plan in case of initial failure. Prepare a BATNA in advance to avoid getting stuck in the negotiations and accepting an unworthy offer.
Ask open-ended questions. While the final objective of the negotiations is aloud “yes”, it means nothing without “how”. It is these “how-questions” that will keep the negotiations going on. The trick to “how-questions” is that they may be a gentle way to say “no” and guide your partner to develop a better solution, i.e., your solution. Thus, not only will they give your partner the illusion of control but also lead them to contemplate your problems when making their demands.
For example, instead of “Do you think this is a good investment?” ask, “How can we benefit from it?”
Use the framing method. The perception of any phenomenon in the world determines and influences the way we see it. Likewise, the way information is presented affects how we interpret it, both in general and in context. This is often understood as a cognitive bias called the framing effect.
To successfully apply this technique in negotiations, the outcome of a situation must be introduced as a win-win. For example, instead of discussing the high price of your products, describe the benefits your partner will receive in the future.
Get in the game first. The first step or the first offer in a negotiation should never be underestimated as it is the critical starting point that sets the tone and direction for the entire negotiation process. This practice is called anchoring. By just naming even a figure that is not close to reality or another extreme anchor first, you can steer the conversation in the direction you want. Obviously, this initial bid will most likely be rejected, but in this case, you will definitely have the upper hand since the discussion will jump off what has already been said.
Listen actively. One of the core points in negotiations is the ability to listen and, what’s more, to hear. Listen carefully and analyze what your opponent is saying. Do not try to intervene, interrupt, or even think about how you should react next. Instead, encourage your partner to elaborate on their answer so that you understand their goals better and don’t miss meaningful details.
Techniques such as Mirroring and Silences can help you do this. The essence of the first of them is to repeat the behavior of your interlocutor, namely body language, speech patterns, vocabulary, tempo, and tone of voice. In the case of negotiations, this mechanism is projected onto words. By repeating back the last one to three words people say, you trigger this mirroring instinct and make your counterpart inevitably clarify and add more and more information, thereby revealing their strategy.
Silences can be seen as a kind of extension of the previous technique. After applying Mirroring, you need to wait a few seconds to let that mirror work its magic on your counterpart.
Needless to say, it matters not only to know how to apply these techniques correctly during negotiations but also to be able to recognize them so that you can understand how best to react to them.
Some people tend to consider using specific negotiation techniques to be manipulative and unethical. However, as long as you respect the other person’s needs and strive to offer a fair deal, negotiation is absolutely ethical. So, put these methods into practice, make them your ace in the hole, and become a brilliant negotiator!
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