subject: Rules of Negotiation! [print this page] Rules of Negotiation! Rules of Negotiation!
Whether to discuss your salary, job profile, buy from a supplier, respond to a complaint, recruit a member of staff, settle a conflict or allocate a budget to a division, the professional world multiplies opportunities for negotiation. This requires both knowledge of what to do and how to do it!
There are many different ways to understand negotiation. One view of negotiation involves three basic elements: process, behavior and substance. The process refers to how the parties negotiate: the context of the negotiations, the parties to the negotiations, the tactics used by the parties, and the sequence and stages in which all of these play out. Behavior refers to the relationships among these parties, the communication between them and the styles they adopt. The substance refers to what the parties negotiate over: the agenda, the issues (positions and - more helpfully - interests), the options, and the agreement(s) reached at the end.
A Few Rules to Remember
Everything is negotiable:Don't narrow a negotiation down to just one issue. Develop as many issues or negotiable points to deal with and then juggle in additional deal points if you and the other party lock onto one issue.
Shape up your vision: The one who can visualize the end result will most likely be the one who guides the negotiation.
Prepare in advance: Information is power. Obtain as much information as possible beforehand to make sure you understand the value of what you are negotiating.
Ask questions: Clarify information you do not understand. Determine both the implicit and explicit needs of your counterpart.
Listen: When you do a good job listening, you not only gain new ideas for creating win/win outcomes but also make your counterpart feel cared for and valued. This also allows you to find out what the other party wants. If you assume that his or her wants and needs are the same as yours, you will have the attitude that only one of you can "win" the negotiation.
Set a goal for each deal point: Define your minimum level of acceptance for each goal. If you aren't clear on your goals, you will end up reacting to the propositions of your counterpart.
Aim your aspirations high: Your aspirations will likely be the single most important factor in determining the outcome of the negotiation. You can aim high just as easily as you can aim low.
Develop options and strategies: Successful people are those who have the greatest number of viable alternatives. Similarly, successful negotiators are those who have the most strategies they can use to turn their options into reality.
Be honest and fair: In life, what goes around comes around. The goal in creating win/win outcomes is to have both counterparts feel that their needs and goals have been met, so that they will be willing to come back to the table and negotiate again. An atmosphere of trust reduces the time required to create win/win outcomes. Read More...
