Tips to Negotiate like a Professional

The skills to negotiate have become essential in the business world. To compete in the market of today you need specific negotiating qualities to accomplish your goals. It is not just about being able to confidently discuss a sale or project outcome but being able to understand the process of negotiating. Here we can help with a range of tips and tricks to get you negotiating like a professional.

Adapt your Mind set

Negotiating is not just about focusing solely on achieving your goals and needs but working collaboratively with all parties that enter to help accomplish all goals and objectives. It is about cooperation with the other people involved to ensure the best outcome.

Listen

When negotiating, listening is your main priority. How will you be able to fairly negotiate with your consumer if you don’t fully understand their questions or needs? Put your focus solely on what the consumer is explain to you and if there is any mistake made with communication then clarify with them by asking “can you help me understand more?” or “what is your concern.”

Establish Trust

You are more likely to achieve your ideal outcome is your consumer or client trusts what you are negotiating. Be honest to an extent with your consumer to allow them to build trust. Focus on the points that will be important and relevant and don’t over complicate the situation.

Deflate your Ego

Negotiations are a discussion about solutions to a problem and not about the negotiator. What truly matters is the consumer and the ideal end goal of the negotiation. People tend to get personal when negotiating and become attached to the outcome of the discussion. It is important to detach yourself from the situation and work towards a collectively goal that will benefit you and the consumer. Avoid the egotistical tendencies as this will ultimately damage your negotiation.

Ask

The best quality of any successful negotiator is the ability to communicate well. Asking the more effective questions, gathering the information and forming a plausible solution. There are 5 types of questions to use during negotiations that all have different purposes: general, direct, leading, fact-finding and opinion-seeking questions. By proficiently using these questions categories you are guaranteed to find the right answers to help you find the best solution.

Accept when it’s over

It is imperative to know when the negotiation is over and it is time to stop. Your main goal is to ensure the negotiation itself is a success regardless of whether the outcome complies with your end objective. You want to keep a positive, long-term relationship with your consumer and to do this you need to make sure the negotiations finish on good terms. Whilst the consumer is important, don’t forget that if the end result does not benefit yourself or your company then it is best for you to walk away.