“Winners have systems. To win more negotiations, you must have a winning system!” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert
Do you want to win more negotiations but you’re unsure of how to do so? Negotiations can be difficult if you’re unsure what to do and when to do it. If you employ the following proven ways to easily win more negotiations, you will, in fact, win more negotiations.
Have Negotiation Plan:
Having a good negotiation plan is like having a road map that leads to your destination. To negotiate without a plan is a plan fraught with potential danger. As you assemble your plan …
Plan how you’ll win the negotiation: Some will say, of course, I plan to win, but what does that entail? It should entail how you’ll engage throughout the negotiation when dealing with offers/counteroffers, and the detours you may have to take in the process.
Create mile-markers: Mile-makers are indicators highlighting where you are at any particular time during the negotiation. You should ask yourself if you’re on target per what you thought would occur, have you had to make adjustments, if so, what were they and what facilitated the need to adjust. Understanding where you are in the negotiation process will allow you to assess the corrective actions that are needed to move forward.
Be Observant:
When I was a kid, my friends and I played a game called, “what’s missing”. It entailed observing items in an environment, leaving the environment, and returning to note what was missing. It was a good game that honed my skills of observation. When it comes to observation during negotiations, note …
Body Language: Are the words and actions of the other negotiator synchronized when he speaks? If they’re not, take note of what he claims to be true. In particular, note if his gestures are rhythmically aligned with his words. When they’re out of sync, that indicates that he’s in a deeper thought process, which means he’s choosing his words more carefully. That can also be an insight into the degree of truthfulness he’s willing to convey. When speaking the truth, it comes naturally.
Note comfort gestures: Comfort gestures are displayed by rubbing hands together, rubbing an arm, fingers, thigh, etc. You can also confirm such gestures by observing movements he makes that are closer to his body. Take note of when the gestures started, along with what prompted them to occur. You’ll gain insight into what he might be attempting to hide.
What’s missing: During a negotiation, you can gain great insight into the other negotiator’s strategy by observing what he doesn’t say and/or the questions he attempts to avoid. Observing such is noteworthy because it gives insights to his fears, fears that you might exploit.
Negotiation Postmortem:
Always recap a negotiation after it has concluded. In particular, seek answers to …
What went right and why did it go right?
What went wrong and why?
What was less than expected?
What was better than expected?
What could have been better?
What occurred that had not been anticipated?
How could the negotiation have turned out differently, good or bad?
By exploring such questions, you’ll hone your negotiation skills and be better prepared for future negotiations. If you wish to capitalize on this process, archive your negotiation postmortems by keywords. That will enable you to locate certain aspects easier in the future.
When you take the time to employ the thoughts above in your negotiations, you’ll easily win more negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.
What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com
Remember, you’re always negotiating!