When you negotiate, how do you smell? Stated differently, what aura do you emit? When you negotiate, you secrete a sensation that’s conveyed through your actions. It’s a sensation that can be sensed by those with whom you negotiate.
Quickly read this article to gain insight into 9 strategies you can employ to alter the persona you project in a negotiation and in the process, increase your negotiation advantages.
1. Stagecraft – When you negotiate, the way you present your position, evokes different emotions. Therefore, always consider how you will position your offerings, the timing, and the manner in which you present them. By doing so, you’ll decrease the level of anxiety you experience and lower the level of stress you place upon yourself during the negotiation.
2. Seek to understand, before disagreeing. The best way to do so is to refrain from being arbitrarily judgmental, when the other negotiator makes counter offers. Remember to maintain an open mind.
3. Where possible, use ‘real life’ stories to underscore your offerings. Stories will humanize you, which will subliminally ingratiate you to the other negotiator. In the process, you’ll be perceived as more trustworthy.
4. When you speak of negotiation outcomes, sell the benefits they will have to the other negotiator (e.g. if you buy this golf club, versus the other one, this one will help you cut 3 strokes off your game).
5. Use brevity when/where possible. While some people believe they are more impressive when reciting a soliloquy, being direct with your verbiage will allow you to be perceived as more persuasive.
6. When negotiating and confronted by someone that’s indecisive, don’t forget the formula, ‘problem, agitate, solve’. Highlight the problem, exacerbate it, and then offer a solution that eliminates the pain by taking action. Make the other negotiator ‘feel’ the relief he’ll experience by not incurring the negativity that would stem from not taking action.
7. When a negotiation does not bear the outcome you seek, thank the other negotiator before you conclude the negotiation. Then, ask what would have made her accept your offer. That deal may be ‘dead’, but you can use the information in your next negotiation. Don’t forget to present a ‘down sell’ or ‘exit’ offer (offer to purchase an item at a lower price – this can be used by removing/unbundling components of the deal).
8. Don’t be condescending to those with whom you negotiate. Even when your position is superior to the other negotiator, treat her with respect. You never know when the tables may turn in future negotiations. If they do, she might be the one in the ‘power position’ and disdain you.
9. Practice the ABC’s of negotiation:
A – Hold yourself Accountable for your actions.
B – When possible, be Benevolent.
C – Be Conscientious of your actions throughout the negotiations and those of the other negotiator as they transpire around you.
Sometimes, a negotiation can be daunting, but when you adhere to the propositions above, you will experience more fulfilling negotiation outcomes … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are …
- Be wise when negotiating. Lying may not be forthright, but sometimes bending the truth assists in progressing the negotiation, (e.g. Does this make me look fat?).
- Remember to balance risk. Risk is the price you pay for opportunity, but risk has to be weighed against the cost of the outcome being sought.
- Never forget, you demonstrate your mental state of mind through your actions. Thus, be mindful of your actions and the impact they have on negotiations.