Negotiation - Some Tactics

In the corporate part of my working life I really enjoyed negotiation. The negotiations were usually centred on sales for high value items of capital equipment. However, all of us are negotiating all of the time, in our working life and in our private lives.

It comes down to all parties getting what they want with neither feeling sore about any concessions. Basically finding a fair compromise.

In many ways the subject of the negotiation is of little consequence because there are some fundamental principles that are needed in any negotiation. My approach is very much one of;

1. Questioning and Listening - to find out all I can about the other parties position and needs.

2. Talking - to let the other party know what I want him to know of my position. Only disclose what you think they need to know to be able to get into the negotiation.

3. Thinking - about our relative positions and what we each may be able to give to reach our respective goals.

When this point is reached it's normally possible to develop a strategy for the negotiation and you can then plan how you will try to steer the negotiations. A vital part of this strategic development is to know your walk away point.

The walk away point is the line you are not going to cross in giving ground in the negotiation. It's vital that you fix this in your mind because in the actual negotiations you may well be emotionally drawn to give more than you should. Be pragmatic.

For a negotiation to be 'win-win', all parties should feel positive about the negotiation once it's over. This helps maintain good working relationships.

In summary:

The negotiation itself is a careful exploration of your position and the other person's position, with the goal of finding a mutually acceptable compromise that gives you both as much of what you need as possible.

People's positions are rarely as fundamentally opposed as they may initially appear.

In an ideal situation, you will find that the other person wants what you are prepared to trade, and that you are prepared to give what the other person wants.

If this is not the case and one person must give way, then it is fair for this person to try to negotiate some form of compensation for doing so - the scale of this compensation will often depend on many of the factors in the whole scope of both parties situations.

Ultimately, both sides should feel comfortable with the final solution if the agreement is to be considered win-win.

If you think about young children are the best negotiators, they invariably get what they want. Who taught them?

Best wishes,

Michael Harrison.

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Article by Michael Harrison, Author, Consultant and Business Builder.