Free Tips on Career Advancement

This is Part 1 of two parts on “8 Simple Negotiation Steps”. 

Here we’ll discussing the first four points, and Part 2, the remaining four points.

To begin with, it’s very important to keep in mind that everything is negotiable to some degree.

So let’s get going.

1. Adopt the philosophy of behavioural flexibility

Never narrow yourself down to a single issue and stubbornly stick to it, allow multiple options as part of your negotiating repertoire so that you always have room to move should your counterpart/s come up with something out of left field. 

This will build your self-confidence.

There is a saying that, the person with the greatest behavioural flexibility is in control of any situation, meaning that you won’t get bogged down; you’ll have a lot of cards up your sleeve.

2. Visualise  your desired end result

Days, even weeks before you meet up with your counterpart/s, you need to know how you want the negotiation process to end.  What is your preferred outcome?  Is what you hope for ambitious or is it realistic?

Visualising a successful outcome, actually being in the picture of success is one of the most powerful weapons for success.  I’m not saying that you ‘see’  yourself successful, I mean actually ‘feeling’ and ‘seeing’ the success through your own eyes, that is what is called being associated in the picture.  When you see yourself in the picture, it’s referred to as being dissociated, which is not quite as powerful as being associated.

3. Be well prepared

It is nothing short of suicidal to go into a negotiation without having brainstormed all the possible scenarios that your counterpart/s could come up with.  Normally, one person cannot do this important preparation alone, there need to have been multiple inputs from which you can draw, that is brainstorming with other stakeholders in your company.

You will then negotiate from a position of strength, appearing to be in control of every situation you are faced with.  If you show that you know what you are doing, give the impressions that you know what you might expect, are aware of all potential counter-proposals presented, your counterpart/s will be less likely to ask you to compromise.

4. Never accept the first offer

It is fair to say that you should never accept the first offer.  Even if the first offer is what you would be happy to accept, aim for something more because your expectations may have been too low.  Having said that, this will hardly be the case, but it is possible, and it’s best to be prepared.

More often, the first offer will be to test your position on key issues.

The next posting will continue with the remaining four points to get you on your way to negotiation prowess.

Do practise the above four before you receive the others as it’s better to practise new material in small chunks than to try them all at one time.

Even just concentrating on one element per day will be better than focusing on all four at one time.

By the end of four days, you will have time to put them all together.