How can you use authority to increase your credibility in negotiations?

3 How can you balance your authority with rapport?

While authority can help you increase your credibility in negotiations, it can also create a distance or a barrier between you and your counterparts. To ensure success, you need to balance your authority with rapport by showing empathy, humility, and flexibility. For example, demonstrate empathy by trying to see the situation from the other party's perspective, express appreciation for their efforts, and use humor to create a connection. Show humility and openness by admitting mistakes, asking for feedback, and sharing challenges. Lastly, show flexibility and willingness by exploring options that can satisfy both parties' interests, making reasonable concessions, and adapting to changing circumstances. By doing this, you can build trust and cooperation while creating win-win outcomes that benefit both parties.

4 How can you handle challenges to your authority?

Sometimes, you may face challenges to your authority in negotiations, such as questions, doubts, or criticisms from your counterparts. These challenges may be motivated by curiosity, skepticism, or hostility and can have an effect on the outcome of the negotiation. It's important to stay calm and composed and not take the challenges personally or react defensively. In order to handle these challenges effectively, you should respond confidently and constructively. Answer questions honestly and accurately and provide relevant and reliable information or evidence. Additionally, address doubts or criticisms logically and respectfully and explain the reasons or benefits of your proposals or solutions. Furthermore, you can redirect or reframe the challenges by turning them into opportunities to learn, improve, or collaborate. Ask for clarification, elaboration, or examples and invite feedback, input, or ideas. Lastly, focus on the common goals, interests, or values and emphasize the positive aspects or outcomes.

5 How can you improve your authority skills?

Authority is not a trait that one either has or doesn't have; it is a skill that can be developed and improved through practice and feedback. To do so, you should seek feedback and mentorship from your customers, suppliers, contractors, or colleagues on how you demonstrate your authority in negotiations. Additionally, you should keep up with the latest trends, developments, and innovations in your field by reading books, articles, blogs, or podcasts on negotiation and persuasion skills. Furthermore, look for opportunities to negotiate with different types of people, situations, or contexts. Set realistic goals for your negotiations and use strategies and techniques discussed in this article. Finally, review and reflect on your performance and outcomes to learn from your successes and failures.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?