Negotiation is a vital skill for any employee, but especially for remote workers who may face more challenges in communicating and influencing their managers, colleagues, and clients. In this article, you will learn some of the best negotiation techniques for remote workers, and how to apply them in different situations.
Before you enter any negotiation, you need to have a clear idea of what you bring to the table, and what you want to achieve. Research the market rate for your role, the expectations and goals of your employer, and the benefits and drawbacks of working remotely. Highlight your strengths, achievements, and contributions, and be prepared to justify your requests with evidence and examples.
Knowing your strengths and transferable skills to demonstrate self-awareness will help when building inner confidence. One way of doing this is by grabbing a piece of paper and writing down ALL training, projects and knowledge you have. Add a rock next to any of these that have transferable value and make sure to mention them.
One of the disadvantages of working remotely is that you may have less opportunities to develop trust and rapport with your counterparts. This can affect your ability to persuade and influence them, and to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings. To overcome this, you need to invest time and effort in building rapport, both before and during the negotiation. Use video calls, chat messages, and emails to communicate regularly, show interest and appreciation, and find common ground.
Connecting with and regularly making contributions to online conversations with those peers on LinkedIn can be especially valuable. Is the company running a new initiative? Get involved by commenting and supporting their online posts.
Not all negotiations are suitable for the same medium. Depending on the complexity, urgency, and sensitivity of the issue, you may need to choose between email, phone, or video call. Email can be useful for exchanging information, clarifying details, and documenting agreements, but it can also be impersonal, ambiguous, and slow. Phone can be faster and more direct, but it can also lack visual cues and feedback. Video call can be the closest to face-to-face communication, but it can also be affected by technical issues, distractions, and fatigue.
Working remotely can offer you more flexibility and autonomy, but it can also pose some challenges and constraints. For example, you may have to deal with different time zones, work cultures, and expectations. To negotiate effectively, you need to be flexible and creative, and look for win-win solutions that benefit both parties. For instance, you may be able to trade off some salary for more vacation time, or some hours for more training opportunities.
Understand what ‘success’ looks like to you and have a minimum expectation, a realistic expectation and an ideal expectation mapped out on paper. Always begin with your ideal expectation and work from there. Understanding your minimum, real and ideal expectation will help you with perspective during negotiations.
One of the best ways to improve your negotiation skills is to ask open-ended questions that elicit information, opinions, and feelings. Open-ended questions start with words like what, why, how, and tell me, and they encourage the other person to share more details, reasons, and perspectives. This can help you to understand their needs, interests, and concerns, and to find areas of agreement and compromise. It can also show that you are listening, curious, and respectful.
The last step of any negotiation is to follow up and follow through. This means that you need to confirm and summarize the main points and outcomes of the negotiation, and to keep your promises and commitments. You also need to maintain the relationship and rapport that you have built, and to address any issues or feedback that may arise. By following up and following through, you can ensure that your negotiation is successful, and that you build a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy remote worker.