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EGOTIATIONS ARE A HUGE PART of our
professional and personal lives — whether
you're trying to negotiate a pay raise, the
price of an automobile, what restaurant you're having
dinner at with your spouse, or even your child's new
curfew, negotiation is a key skill at both work and at
home. Check out these eight simple negotiation tips
and techniques that can significantly improve your daily
interactions and can be applied to just about any difficult situation.
1. Know What You Want
This may sound obvious, but far too often people go into negotiations not knowing what they want
to get out of them. If you know exactly what you want, you not only have less of a chance of "caving
in" or settling for less than what you deserve, but you can also address your points throughout the
negotiation with more conviction and authority.
2. Be Prepared
We've all heard the old saying, "knowledge is power." In the case of negotiations, there couldn't be
more truth to this statement! When you have done your homework for any type of negotiation, you
automatically put yourself in a better position; the more you know, the better your chances are for
speaking in an articulate fashion and making your key points clear and concise. It's pretty safe to say
that once you make one false statement or assertion, your credibility can be lost; therefore, if you
prepare adequately, you will be able to speak to many facets of the issues at hand with confidence and
conviction—and you'll also give the other negotiators a reason to work a little harder!
3. Show Agreement Early
Even though it's clear that you're negotiating because there is some degree of disagreement between
you and the other negotiators, it is still helpful to establish common ground early on. For instance, "I
think we can both agree that we have an issue that we both want to resolve today" is a good way to
start the negotiation off on the right foot. It will help set a positive tone, which will help significantly
later on in the negotiation when things get more intense.
4. Demonstrate What's in It for Them
How can what you want also bring value to the other party? For example, perhaps you want to
negotiate a pay raise with your current employer. You would first want to show your employer
Successful Negotiations: Mastering Persuasion
M A N AG E M E N T A N D L E A D E R S H I P
