Page 1 of 2

+44 (0) 7976 751 095 dan@danbeverly.com http://danbeverly.com

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

Page 2 of 2

+44 (0) 7976 751 095 dan@danbeverly.com http://danbeverly.com

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.