Negotiating is a way of reconciling the various visions and needs of two parties and a potential stepping stone for a more cohesive future business relationship.
When you run a business, sooner or later you will have to negotiate with somebody who is a power position.
It will not matter if the person is a man or a woman, younger or older, wrong or right, you will need your power of negotiation to be effective in how you deal with them.
Negotiating is a way of reconciling the various visions and needs of two parties and a potential stepping stone for a more cohesive future business relationship.
As an entrepreneur, you cannot run from negotiation, so if you don’t want to get trampled on every time you need to negotiate a deal, here are some pointers for you:
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Negotiating is another method of asking: Asking for a change gives you a better chance of getting what you want. You need to see the negotiation as another way of asking for what you want.
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Remember your competence and power: You know how competent you are and the power that lies in your hands, you need to make the person you’re negotiating with see that. Square your shoulders, maintain good posture and look at the other person in the eye (depending on the cultural context), and make them realise that you believe in your competence and skills.
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Imagine how your success impacts company and colleagues: Studies have shown that connecting the success or positive impact of the negotiation to the effect it has or will have on their organization or colleagues, will make people more open to considering your terms in a negotiation.
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Advocate for the group: Posit yourself as a person advocating for a larger group. This makes them feel like you are not just going for your needs, but also that of many others, which in turn will make them more open to your terms.
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Bring in someone with authority: If you feel like the person you are going to negotiate with has some form of superiority complex or ego issues, bring someone with a higher authority than that person along on the trip.
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Be persistent: Persistence will show the person you’re negotiating with that you did not come to count bridge. It will show them that you mean business and will not leave unless you get all or some of what you want.
Happy hunting!
This article originally appeared on Pulse.ng and was republished with permission.
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