“When weakness is perceived, therein will lie strength.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)
“3 Noted Ways Women Can Easily Win More –
How To Increase Negotiation Skills”
People don’t realize they’re always negotiating.
Some men consider women to be the weaker sex. And that is especially true regarding negotiation. That positioning alone can help women increase their negotiation efforts. To further enhance negotiation skills, women may consider how body language impacts the proceedings, how to gain and use leverage, and how they can reshape the attitudes and behaviors of those with whom they negotiate. And the following insights will address that.
Body Language
Anyone that wishes to increase their negotiation skills should learn more about reading body language; that’s especially true for women. Body language also includes nonverbal gestures and the tonality someone uses as they speak. And an astute negotiator can glean additional meaning from how someone states their words versus how they use them to express a position.
Please Note – The author does not intend for the next section to become perceived as sexist. The information given is to advantage women during negotiations. Thus, if not appropriate, a woman can choose to forgo this information.
Attractiveness can be a bonus in any negotiation. Sometimes, it is a subliminal variable that assists in the negotiation process. As such, women may consider appearing attractive, based on the situation, by wearing clothing that adds an extra dimension to their image. And again, based on the stakes and needs for the negotiation outcome sought, allow their body language to convey suggested meanings that words would otherwise not guide.
A woman can also use body language gestures to hold the gaze of the opposition a moment longer when making some offers and not others. She can also seductively alter her speech as a form of misdirection – drawing attention from something she did not wish to discuss. The suggestion is that one particular request is more valuable than others.
I’ll leave it to your imagination as to other body language gestures women can perform when negotiating to gain an advantage. If you need thought motivation about this, watch spy movies, etc.
Reshaping Attitudes
There are multiple ways a woman can shape or reshape the attitude displayed towards her before and during a negotiation.
Before Negotiation
1. Before entering a negotiation, know the prevalent norms and values. That is true for men and women. But it is especially true for women who may negotiate in some cultures where women are perceived to have a lower status than men. Knowing the expectations of women gives women a roadmap for how they can position themselves to take advantage of that environment.
2. To shape someone’s perspective before a negotiation, a woman can plant seeds within her opposition’s camp about the type of person she is. Suppose the opponent misaligned the perception of how a woman wishes they perceive her for a specific negotiation. In that case, she can reshape her persona by indicating how she has undergone a metamorphosis. To enhance the perception, state a reason about how and why such change came about.
During Negotiation
As a woman, initially, you can play the role that your counterpart expects of you. If expectations are for you to be docile, be docile. If they are for you to be tough, be challenging.
Playing the expected role will allow you to gain insight into how the opposition will treat you in that role. Once you have achieved that insight, you can alter your persona to match the façade you wish to project.
A woman changing her demeanor will cast doubt in the opposition’s mind about the personality type they are dealing. During the opposition’s indecisiveness, take control of the negotiation based on your plans.
Leverage
Gaining leverage in a negotiation can be perplexing. But if a woman is aware of her opponent’s vulnerabilities, she can have an easier time accomplishing that goal.
In some environments, women have to prove themselves more than men. For example, when women speak, some men interrupt them because they are female. Plus, men may overlook what women are concerned with while not being aware of a woman’s concerns.
While some of these assertions will not exist in every environment in which a woman will negotiate, the point is, when a woman encounters stereotypical environments, flip the script. Ask not to be interrupted. If the opposition continues to do so, continue speaking.
By doing that, a woman will be metaphorically standing up for herself. She will still have to use good negotiation tactics to gain additional leverage. But by the fact that she displays through her actions that she is willing to go toe-to-toe with the opposition, she will be making a silent, bold, and loud statement.
Every negotiator should be knowledgeable about the outcome they want. Given the contentions a woman may face during negotiation, having that insight and a plan to reach her goals will cause the opposition to pause before trying tactics that might otherwise place her at a disadvantage.
Reflection
As stated at the opening, some people consider women easy prey when negotiating. Those people are more vulnerable to women succeeding in their quest for a favorable negotiation outcome.
So, if you are a woman and you want to increase your negotiation skills, always consider the impact body language, reshaping attitudes, and gaining leverage will have on every negotiation you engage. Because being mindful of those variables and becoming adept at using them will give you an edge in all of your negotiations. And everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!
Check out this offer to learn more about negotiating better and reading body language!
To listen to the podcast of this week’s negotiation Tip of the Week, click here – https://bit.ly/3Qel5UM
Listen to Greg’s other podcasts at https://megaphone.link/CSN6318246585 Once there, double click on the episode you would like to hear.
After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com
To receive weekly free 5-minute sneak peeks into the brilliant techniques offered by Greg, click here
https://www.themasternegotiator.com/negotiation-speaker/ and sign up at the bottom of the page