Negotiating Skills

Negotiations are something we do almost every day of our lives, usually in the domestic arena. The worst and hardest negotiations are probably hostage negotiations where the object is to secure the safe release of the victim but without giving in to demands and so encouraging the cycle to be repeated. For the most part business negotiations are, we hope less dramatic than a hostage situation although trade union negotiations can be fraught and tense with enormous implications depending on the result.

For us a successful business negotiation should be win – win but not always possible. We can divide negotiations into short term where relationships are unimportant such as buying a car and long term where there is a wish to keep good relationships with the other party.

Negotiations with a long term relationship is the main focus of our work. They falls into three areas:

1. Relationship skills. Those who build high levels of trust are skilled in finding what the other party wants and able to communicate their needs effectively will have an advantage over those who pay low attention to these aspects. However, good relationship skills do not, on their own, achieve the best result. Indeed, good relationships may even weaken your resolve when you need to be focused, hide your hand and be tough.
    
2. Process. Preparation is part of successful negotiating. Establishing your needs and walk away position; what you can trade, and being diligent in finding their needs will increase your chances of success. It also about being patient – not easy when there are time constraints.
    
3. Psychological. This is about emotions and nerve. A tough negotiator will weaken he other person’s position through a number of techniques. We do not hugely admire manipulation yet we must be aware of them.

Our training and advice for specific negotiations follows the three principles established above. We use generic role-plays to bring out lessons and will prepare specific in house role-plays to exercise our clients realistically in the position in which they find themselves.