We hope there’s no need to sing praises to good negotiation skills and their role in your life. At work, in the family, with friends, or even in interaction with strangers you do apply these skills regularly. So the sooner you make them sharp, the better.
If you are on a team leading an important negotiation round, or if you are the head of your own small company, negotiation skills become the matter of life and death. So, see above. Improve your skills and skills of people in the same boat as you ASAP.
How to do it efficiently? Here’s a big secret: efficient negotiation learning includes practice under supervision and regular feedback on your negotiation style and mistakes you make. These elements are available only through really good trainings, and you can find such learning options from trusted providers at https://cosmitto.com.au/ conveniently and rapidly.
Yet, to be sure you get the most from your negotiation coach, what concepts and tips should be on the training agenda?
Table of Contents
Get Ready in Advance
Getting ready means several things: collecting information about the party you plan to negotiate with, sorting out your own strong and weak points, preparing a provisionary contract specifying who gets what, and knowing what alternatives you have.
Communication is a Two-Way Lane
Negotiations are about talking as much as they are about listening. During good negotiation skills training, you will hear a lot about active listening, empathy, trust, and control of your emotions. Treat these words seriously, because that’s how negotiations are actually made. Hard talks and ice-cold looks work well in the movies. In real life, it is communication between humans, and it should be polite, collaborative, and efficient. You need to walk away from the table with gains and not with feelings of disappointment and anger.
Know your BATNA
Sometimes walking away calmly is the best solution. But to do it, you need to have an alternative. The best alternative to a negotiated agreement, to be more specific. It means that even before you enter the room and shake hands with the other negotiation party, you have to have another option to fill your needs if these negotiations fail. Like, you have to know that if these talks end in nothing you just walk away and go to another contractor or a supplier. Most probably, the opposing team will arrive with the same ace up their collective sleeve.
Nonzero Sum Game is a Good Idea
A zero-sum game is when one party gets everything and another gets nothing. Correspondingly, a nonzero-sum game is when both you and the other party gain something and give up something. It’s another name for the win-win situation if you want to know. Most probably, you physically won’t be able to rip the other party completely. But even if you corner the other team, don’t do it. Get a reasonable deal and win a loyal partner in the future. Get everything now and get an enemy and reputation of a cutthroat to be avoided.
Be ready for a Reasonable Compromise
Compromise is not a failure; it’s a normal process of settling matters. A reasonable compromise is the best deal you may get in most situations, it’s the details that make it good or bad for you. That’s why preparation is important, and the one who shows up with a prepared draft of a deal has the upper hand in the talks.
So train thoroughly and become a good negotiator. These skills will serve you well in many work and life situations, take our word for it.
