As more people turn to and use Social Media to communicate with friends, family and business associates, a new environment is being created in which to negotiate.
I constantly inform readers of my writings and those attending my seminars and presentations of the fact that ‘you’re always negotiating’. As such, when you’re in Social Media environments, you should be cautious of the information you disclose. You never know where that information will end up. It could be used against you in later negotiations to identify your thought process, and the negotiation characteristics you possess. A good negotiator can use the threads you leave from your Social Media interactions to ‘track you’, over a long period time.
When you negotiate in Social Media environments, consider …
- If you use video, think about how you project your image and what that projection says about you. Does it create the persona you wish to convey? Over a period of time, someone researching your background will be able to gather insight into the different personalities you possess, which could give a good negotiator the extra advantage she needs when negotiating with you. In essence, she’ll be able to observe facial reactions to different subject matters, which will give her clues to your mental makeup when the two of you are negotiating.
- If you use audio as part of your Social Media communications, another negotiator will be able to discern the manner in which you use grammar and your style of speech. That insight will speak voluminously about your background. From that, the other negotiator will be able to ‘paint a picture of your mind’. That’s information he can use to his advantage when you engage in negotiations.
- In your writings, do you use jargon that might be perceived as being sexist, racist, or degrading? As you write, you give insight into your style of writing. In so doing, when you communicate in writing during negotiations, a good negotiator will gain insight into the thought process that moves you from one emotional state to another. Think about where those writings might turn up years from now. You could be negotiating for a new job, a new position, or trying to move into a new area of your life. All of a sudden, someone does a background check when planning for negotiations with you and up pops that derogatory information. Before you know it, the negotiation ends before it begins. Don’t allow today’s writings to present you as being passé for tomorrow’s negotiation opportunities.
Some of you may be thinking, this sounds like paranoia. Rest assured the more information you ‘put out there’ in Social Media sites, the greater the chance that someone can retrieve that information and use it to their advantage when negotiating with you. It may be unfortunate that we live in such times, but it’s better to understand and use the environment in which you’re in, then to be used by the environment.
If you’re an astute negotiator, one that aspires to become a master negotiator, you will control the environment when you’re in Social Media arenas. Savvy negotiators will use it to enhance their negotiations by being mindful of the trail they leave … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are
- Be mindful of how you communicate in Social Media environments. The mindless thing you do today could influence your negotiation outcome tomorrow.
- Prior to negotiating with someone, consider gathering information about their operations and demeanor on Social Media sites. You might find it to be a hidden treasure of valuable information to use during the negotiation.
- Social Media sites can be great places in which to project your façade. When negotiating, use Social Media to project the image by which you wish to be known.