Post on 20-Jan-2017
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3 Rules for Powerful and Effective Negotiation 13 July 2016
Negotiation is everywhere. And developing the ability to confer with another party for compromise and agreement is an important skill for your arsenal. Here are 3 simple rules for more effective negotiation.
Even for those that don't consider themselves a "deal-
maker", negotiation is an important skill to have at your
command.
For many, the thought of "negotiation skills" either doesn't
apply to them; or sounds something of an unattractive and
unwanted quality. But that ability to confer with another
party with a view to compromise and agreement runs
throughout our lives and careers.
Working with our team. Delivering to our clients.
Managing our stakeholders. Answering to our leadership.
Interviewing with our prospective employers. Negotiation
is everywhere.
Negotiation need not be a negative. Rather, it is a positive
- if we update our perspective and learn to love the
process. So here are a few thoughts to add to your
negotiation repertoire - starting with influence.
The nature of influence
We've all be sold. We've all been instructed. We've all
been taught. And from those experiences, we all know
that the approach is never so effective as when we're
involved and engaged in the process.
So it is with any form of influence: giving information is
rarely as effective an approach as seeking information.
People like to talk. People like to be listened to. And people
like to be heard. And this works well for us and our
negotiation:
If they tell you what you want, you have a better
chance of satisfying requirements.
If they make the suggestion, you have a better
chance of it being accepted.
So for your First Rule of Negotiation: ask more, talk less.
Ahead of time
Your Second Rule of Negotiation: be prepared ahead of
time. You know how to prepare for an important meeting
or presentation. Here are a few negotiation-specific
preparations to add to your list.
Know your negotiating self. Before entering a
negotiation, take a personal inventory. How do you
feel about negotiation: positive or negative? What
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kind of negotiator are you: softly, softly - or win at
all costs? What version of your self do you want and
need to show-up in this negotiation?
Do your deal homework. Who are you negotiating
with? And for what? What are your priorities? And
what are your non-negotiables? Do you have a "best
alternative" lined-up? And after all is said and done:
what's the bottom line?
Decide your strategy. Negotiation is about flexibility
and adaptability. To introduce options to your
negotiating strategy, think in terms of elements that
together form different packages of offer. This will
give you some room for manoeuvre.
Practise double- and triple think. You've thought
about what you want out of the negotiation. What
do you anticipate the other party wants from it
(double think)? And what does the other party think
you want (triple think!)?
Know what a win is. Get clear on your outcomes
ahead of time. Define your "settlement range" by
asking what's best case and what's worst case. And
commit to rejecting anything below your bottom line.
Thinking in terms of your settlement range will keep
you focused on outcomes - but give you some
adaptability.
In the moment
Your Third Rule of Negotiation: stay present in the
moment.
Prioritise trust and rapport. Negotiation is a
sophisticated form of communication - and without
trust and rapport, there is no communication. So come
from a place of trust. Offer certainty. Offer autonomy.
Honour your commitments. Tell the truth. Respect
confidences. Act with integrity.
Stay focused on the agenda and outcome. As with
any high-pressure meeting or presentation, it's easy to
get off track. Stick to the agenda and within the
topics of discussion. And stay focused on the overall
outcome you're looking for. Be flexible in the
exchange - but keep bring things back gently to the
point at hand.
Develop your external listening. We're constantly in
a dialogue with ourselves. And when the inner
dialogue becomes the focus, you won't be listening
externally. Turn-off your inner voice and tune-in to
those involved in the exchange. Listen externally.
Listen at all levels. And listen to what's not being
said.
Don't forget to close. You're in the negotiation for an
outcome - so don't forget to close it out! With so
many proposals being countered, expanded and
compromised upon, it's important to underline the
final position and the close. So map it out. Be specific.
Be polite, but persistent. Get it in writing. Don’t skirt
the issues. And remember: your options for closing
include walking away from the deal that isn't right.
Learn to love the process. Like so many things in life
and work, we get far greater results when we learn
to love the process as much as the outcome. No need
to rush the exchange just to get it over with.
The secrets to negotiation
Negotiation is not about putting forward your position
and interests and staunchly arguing for them. It is about
establishing a relationship between what the other party
wants, what the other party needs and what you have to
offer.
All that starts with a renewed perspective of negotiation
and influence based on: seeking (not giving) information;
being prepared; and staying present.
Dan Beverly is a leadership and performance coach helping ambitious,
high-achieving professional women land their perfect career.
His mission is to inspire possibility in others: to help us excel in careers
without compromise; and to leave us feeling energised and uplifted by a
new future.