Put the Other Side at Ease
Once the negotiation process has started, the primary thing you ought to do after you introduce yourself to the opposite party is make the opposite side feel relaxed. If the meeting takes place in your office, ensure they are comfortable with the temperature of the area, and offer them coffee or water and something to eat. Give them a tour of the facilities so they know where the restrooms, phones, and computer access (if available) are just in case they have to use them. Once most are comfortable, initiate confabulation supported the research you probably did earlier. discuss any interests you will have in common, ask about their children, or discuss hobbies or the other interests they will have.
Be a decent Listener
Active listening skills are crucial if you would like to be a talented negotiator.
Being an honest listener is challenging because you will feel stressed during the negotiation. Additionally, listening requires concentration and patience. Although you will want to interrupt together with your comments, try to wait and see and target what’s being said. many of us find it difficult to concentrate because they’re too busy preparing what they’re going to say next in reaction to what was said. If you are doing your research, plan, and rehearse everything you plan to mention before the negotiation, you will be able to listen and concentrate rather more effectively during the negotiation.
If you influence the opposite side that you just are being attentive to what they are saying, they’ll be more likely to concentrate to what you say. To avoid having the opposite party feeling like everything they’re saying is “going in one ear and out the opposite,” try and appear genuinely interested and use physical gestures to prove that you simply are taking note like tilting your head and nodding. Saying “Go on” or “I see” are other effective ways to indicate the opposite side that you simply have an interest in what they’re saying. in our own way to let the opposite party know you’re taking note is by reiterating what has just been said in a very succinct manner. Although actively taking note of someone doesn’t automatically mean you agree with his point of view, ensure you acknowledge that you just understand where he’s coming from and the way the person feels. Acknowledging the other person’s emotions helps him feel more leisurely so that you can both locomote to the problem-solving phase.
Listening to what someone is saying could be a good start, but also pay attention to visual communication. Is she looking you within the eye when she answers your questions or is she fidgeting and searching at the ground?
Does she seem trustworthy? Does she say she agrees with you and so roll her eyes? Lee Miller, director of the Advanced Human Resources Groups, states that visual communication that implies doubts include touching the nose, rubbing the ears, running fingers through the hair, or dodging.
If something that was said remains unclear or ambiguous to you, be sure to fire clarification. And, once you’re thinking that you have got understood something, repeat it back in an exceedingly succinct manner to create sure there are not any misunderstandings.
Alter Your Negotiation Style If Necessary You may find that you just must adjust your negotiation style to match the other team’s personality. as an example, if your style is to be more indirect but the opposite side gets right right down to business once the meeting begins, perhaps you must be more direct. If the opposite team seems to be more analytical, target your presentation and make sure to incorporate many numbers, charts, and graphs that validate and explain your point of view.
Separate People from the difficulty
Fisher and Ury state that folks become too emotionally committed the issues of the negotiation and their side’s position. When the opposite side attacks their position or issues, they feel as if they’re being attacked personally. it’s important that you just separate the people on the other side from the problems that you simply try to resolve. rather than attacking the other party by saying “Your company ripped me off!” explain how true made you feel: “I felt disappointed.”
Actively paying attention to the opposite side after they are speaking, acknowledging their emotions, and making a sincere effort to grasp their point of view are ways to confirm that you simply have separated the people from the problems at hand. When people become emotional during a negotiation, it’s important that you simply recognize their emotions even if they appear outrageous or unreasonable. Simple phrases such as “I understand your frustration” would suffice. Failure to note their emotions may lead them to feel alienated or to an excellent stronger reaction.
Be Confident and Firm but Not Demanding
One way to exude confidence during a negotiation is to practice, practice, practice. for instance, you’ll work on your listening skills next time you get your car fixed at the car shop or negotiate together with your spouse about where you would like to travel on your next vacation. You negotiate every day together with your family, friends, and strangers, so you must find ample opportunities to practice.
Another way to indicate your audience that you simply are on top of things is by exhibiting positive visual communication. Lee suggests that you simply look your audience members within the eye, stand or sit straight, smile, moderate and project your tone and pitch, and speak slowly. Avoid phrases like “I should have done more research during this area but . . .” or “I’m not as experienced as the remainder of you but . . .” which will give the impression that you are unsure of what you’re saying.
Be Patient
It is important to stay calm and patient in any respect times, particularly when the opposite side is screaming, personally attacking you or your company, or behaving in an emotional manner. Although it’s going to be difficult to maintain your composure under tense circumstances, try to calm the opposite person down by acknowledging his spirit and trying to grasp his point of view, followed by a quick 15-minute break. The person probably needs recognition, reassurance, security, or esteem, or perhaps he’s just having a nasty day. Maybe his spouse lost her job today. the thought is to “kill them with kindness” and avoid bringing up this episode within the future to save lots of face and embarrassment.
Ask Questions
Even though you’ll have prepared the maximum amount as you may for the negotiation, there is no way you may have found answers to everything.
Ask the opposite side inquiries to ensure you understand what their interests are and to clarify anything they will have mentioned earlier that you find to be unclear.
When you ask inquiries to see what the opposite party is thinking, be sure to ask open-ended questions, questions that has to be answered with quite just an easy yes or no. you may get more information from the opposite side by asking “What did you wish and dislike about your last job?” rather than “Did you wish your last job?”
Or, “How would you describe your management style?” in situ of
“Do you lead by consensus?” Open-ended questions tend to start
with “who . . . ,” “what . . . ,” “when . . . ,” “why . . . ,” “where . . . ,”
“how . . . ,” “describe a time when . . . ,” “please explain . . . ,” “please
tell me . . . ,” then on.
When the person has finished answering your question, refrain from immediately asking another question or making a press release. A few seconds of awkward silence is sometimes enough to create people uncomfortable, which influences them to continue speaking and you’ll be able to extract some more information from them.
Don’t Be Afraid to run Away
Sometimes while you are doing your homework, understand the opposite side’s point of view and interests, and are available up with a listing of creative solutions keeping the interests of both parties in mind, you discover yourself unable to succeed in a satisfactory agreement with the opposite party. Although it is sometimes tempting to only sign a deal and find it done as quickly as possible in order that you’ll move to other pressing tasks, be patient. If the give you are puzzling over signing is worse than your BATNA, don’t be afraid to run away. Sometimes after you declare to the other party that you just are walking away, the opposite side will reconsider the agreement—but not always. Remember that what you’re offering to the opposite side is efficacious. Why else would the opposite party spend time trying to barter with you if you weren’t valuable to them? you must be able to find another party to strike a more reasonable deal with, one that’s better than your BATNA.
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