Negotiation Skills in 7 simple steps. Clare Dignall

Morton

       Make an educated guess about their strategy

      By undertaking preparatory research about your opposite number, you may have an idea about what their negotiation strategy will be. An advance agenda will definitely clarify things further. But if, despite having done your homework, you still feel you don’t know what to expect, it’s still worthwhile making an educated guess, or guesses. Asking yourself the following questions will help you explore possible scenarios in your head. It may help you form an idea of the opposite party’s likely strategy and also whip your own into shape:

       Are they likely to open with a proposal?

       What might their proposals be?

       What arguments do I have to counter them?

       Do I think they will be ‘tough’ or accommodating?

       How are they going to respond to my must-haves?

       What counters will they have to my proposals?

       Do I think they will give me a ‘take it or leave it’ ultimatum?

       How will they rate the importance of my USP?

      Asking yourself such simple, open questions will start you thinking creatively about how to respond to any number of scenarios. ‘Dealing with’ something in your head in advance of the meeting will make the real thing less surprising, and much less daunting.

       Road test your strategy

      If you’re feeling nervous about negotiating, be assured that you’re not alone. Like learning any difficult new skill, practice can both minimize anxiety and improve your performance.

      Ask a friend to play a tough-nut negotiator over coffee one weekend, and try out your negotiation strategy against your educated guess at your opponent’s. Roleplay will not only help you practise speaking persuasively about your ‘must-haves’, but will sharpen your ability to think on your feet – vital in negotiations. Note those moments that you found particularly hard to get through: do you tend to lose your train of thought if someone interrupts you? Do you get upset if someone dismisses your argument? Identifying pressure points and finding ways to deal with them before you really have to is invaluable. Ask your friend for feedback – were your arguments compelling? Did you sell yourself? How confident was your body language? Their answers could be revealing.

       Choose your venue

      Just like in football, it’s usually preferable to negotiate on ‘home turf’, where you feel most secure. However, the importance of this can get over-emphasized, so don’t fret if you fail to persuade the other party to yours. Negotiating on their patch may not be your first choice but there are perks: because you’re an invited guest, you don’t need to deal with the details of providing hospitality, and can concentrate on the negotiations, and nothing else.

      Meeting in a neutral location such as a hired meeting room or over coffee is just as good, potentially better. Not only are you both on an equal footing, but finding your feet somewhere new can offer opportunities for breaking the ice before you start: finding power points and water coolers becomes a group activity, gets both sides talking and helps you relax.

      If talks are on home turf, avoid out-dated power games like sitting in an upholstered chair while the opposite party squirms on plastic ones. Try sitting round a table or side by side, rather than across it, to make both sides feel this is a shared problem rather than a head-to-head. Provide breaks, good refreshments, and make sure everyone knows where the restrooms are.

       Your self-preparation

      You’ve spent valuable time gathering information ahead of your negotiations, now it’s time to gather yourself too. Sparing a thought for your physical presentation is not a wasted effort; going into negotiation feeling good about yourself not only improves your own confidence; it will send out strong positive messages to those you are about to negotiate with too.

       Dress