Some of the Best Negotiation Strategies

No matter what time of day it is there is a negotiation taking place somewhere in the world. From small dealings at a local flea market to multinational corporate mergers, negotiations are part of life. People have different levels of negotiation skills or strategies where some are naturals while others are less adept at negotiations. The naturals understand the negotiation process and possess the ability to read others and detect weaknesses. The rest may not be willing to negotiate as much because they're not as skilled. Since negotiation is a solution that satisfies both parties, it's important to know the main negotiation strategies to help turn the end result in your favor.

Some of the very best negotiation strategies include:

Being Prepared:

Do not enter a negotiation if you're not fully prepared. Before starting a negotiation, write an itemized list of all the talking points what you want as your desired outcome. Knowing all of the facts about your argument as well as the facts about the possible counterargument is a critical negotiation technique.

Understand the Problems and Needs of your Competition:

Before entering any negotiation make sure you completely understand the problem at hand. You'll need to decide on which areas you can be flexible with and which areas you cannot. You'll also need to know what your competition is looking to get out of the negotiations and what areas he or she may be willing to compromise. Once the problem is identified, gather your facts so you can back up your approach. Using this negotiation strategy will allow you to please all parties involved at the same time.

Anticipate Competitor Strategies:

It's important to know and understand your competition. Prior to the negotiation process, you must understand the strategies that your competition will try to use and how these negotiation strategies might be used against you. Your competitor may have the tendency to avoid the discussion or even become argumentative, but the key is to remain calm and hold off the negotiations at that time. Revisit the negotiations as soon as the other person calms down and is ready to discuss the problem further.

Offer Options:

There will be times when negotiations may become unfair. For example, a customer that you are trying to acquire may try an get the quote you offered reduced because he claims that's all he can afford. A possible solution is to politely explain to your client that you cannot provide that level of service at their proposed price however, you can offer the customer other options at a price they can afford. The customer will typically work within his budget or offer more money for the service he really wants.

You must keep in mind that negotiations is not an argument, but rather a thoughtful debate. Fully comprehending negotiation strategies may seem to be a bit overwhelming at first, but if you go in prepared with your proposed solutions and the facts and reasons why your outcome is the best you'll come out victorious.