Business negotiating can play an important role in our professional pursuits, the techniques involved can even be of help in our personal lives (outside of the office.) The truth is, we can even be negotiating without realizing it – it is an action that we do naturally from day to day. Perhaps you went to the mall over the weekend and asked for a reduction in the selling price of a faulty item, maybe you had some ideas of how to change something in your office.
Negotiating doesn’t have to be difficult, but how effortless it can or can’t be, depends on a few factors. One of the main factors will be how much is at stake and another factor that can make it a challenge is your mood – if you are upset or angry then negotiating can seem like the highest of hurdles. If you have low self esteem and the person or group you are negotiating with is full of confidence – this might be greatly intimidating for you.
The purpose of this article is to reveal some of the secrets to good business negotiation skills so that you can use them as you need – when in confrontation with colleagues or customers – or even with the big boss! You might also find that the advice here will be of use in more personal situations too.
Introduction To Negotiating
Simply put, negotiating is when two or more persons/groups will discuss their different needs and aim to come to a solution that satisfies either party. Negotiating is not a process that sticks to a set of guidelines and each case could be very variable when compared to the one before or to the next. How the situation develops will depend on the people involved and what skills/ideas/attitudes they have. What negotiating isn’t, is a conflict. Too many make negotiating faults by believing they are under pressure to get the results swayed towards their ideas – using intimidation, force and even anger.