Why Everyone Needs To Be A Great Negotiator?

Life is constantly changing in modern day society, be it with evolving technology, the economies of the world, financial imbalances and simply change. The latter is probably the biggest cause of conflict and complexity.

Every person needs to be equipped with the tools to not only cope, but to navigate their route and survival in everyday situations. Employees often have to advocate their performance review and appraisal, as well as dealing with the oddities of their colleagues and clients. Difficulties and challenges in daily life, often call for negotiation to reach an amicable and fair settlement. The more difficult the economic situation is, the more negotiation that is needed to manage the challenge of financial austerity.

The ability to negotiate is not only a necessity but an authentic skill, which will allow you to ensure that you stay ahead of the game in all aspects of your life. The majority of interactions in daily life involve negotiation of some type. From negotiating with your children, to driving safely on the motorway, you are essentially informing others of what you will accept as reasonable as opposed to their viewpoint on the topic.

Many people conjure fear and anxiety on hearing the word “negotiation”; yet this skill is probably something they were learning from a young age, even though they did not realize this. Achieving the best deal with the minimum effort  or concession is essentially the goal of a great negotiation. Ideally, each party to the negotiation should feel their viewpoint has been heard, considered and is part of the ultimate agreement. The aim should always be to achieve a mutually agreed negotiation, or things may escalate with parties feeling resentment, anger or withdrawing goodwill.

The reasons why good negotiation skills are needed:

1. Reduce conflict and arguments

The ability to negotiate can diffuse anxieties and disputes without the loss of face by either party. A skilled negotiator will be able to assess the viewpoint of each party and areas of potential emotional reaction, enabling the actual issues to be addressed and an amicable solution found.

2. Obtain what you want

The art of targeting your goals seemingly invisibly and gaining them without even asking is a talent few actually possess. However, just imagine if you had the skills to gain whatever you targeted. This is certainly a must for any skill set.

3. Manage diverse situations more effectively

Negotiation skills are definitely transferrable to probably any platform, which means that once this skill is mastered, it can be used in multiplicity.

4. Increase your personal effectiveness

Many employees seek to make themselves indispensable, with this skill you make yourself much more marketable. However, as this skill is transferrable, it can be utilized in every walk of life. Equally, those possessing the ability to negotiate with ease, are often those others look to for guidance and leadership.

5. Limit the chance of others taking advantage of you

Those who understand negotiation will know how to negotiate up and down, with flair and ease. Equally, the best negotiators will have the whole situation covered from their opponent’s perspective. Therefore, there is no element of surprise as each argument and respective weighting will have been assessed and challenged from the opposing viewpoint.

6. Maintain goodwill between parties

Usually there is some conflict, giving rise to the need for the parties to seek agreement. Ideally, the final agreement will leave all sides feeling they have been heard, understood and achieved the best terms. It is important to eliminate hostility in any situation, as it is counter-productive in all aspects.

7. Avoidance of emotional conflict

Matters often become entrenched when emotions become involved in any disagreement, and ultimately can negate a meeting of minds.

8. Ensuring that your bottom line is maintained

Many people enter into negotiation without first identifying which assets they are wiling to compromise, or the terms they require. Equally, it is important to identify what you want to achieve in order to create a healthy environment moving forward. It may be a bitter pill to swallow an agreement, where terms and conditions are detrimental to your position.

9. Objectives can be prioritized

There are often a number of issues on the table, which may become distorted as the discussions prevail. It is far better to rank or prioritize the list, even affording a percentage to each point to ensure that alternative solutions can be found. Creativity will come into play in negotiating, so utilizing two categories against another cumulative one may offer bargaining power or colourful solutions especially with time-sensitive tasks.

10. Inspiring others around you

This may seem like an odd assertion, however people do learn from others. Watching a skilled negotiator is indeed an awe-inspiring experience and many will want to emulate those skills. The participants to the discussions will equally be inspired to make the agreement work if they connect with such talent.

 The Toolkit for Negotiation

• Understanding of the issues, the personalities and separating emotions from the situation;
• Identify the objectives that need to be achieved from both perspectives;
• Weigh up the pros and cons to each objective, utilizing any known factors to support or deny these aims;
• Assign a value to each objective, which may not necessarily be monetary;
• Know the bottom line of each party, as if you fall below this then you know you have failed;
• Give the plan a timeline, as without firm dates, goodwill will never make anything happen;
• Be fair, honest and open throughout negotiations;
• Use the process for learning and understanding on all sides;
• Be prepared to use “force” or a firm hand if necessary;
• Anticipate the contentious issues and be equipped to manage them;
• Make a good offer that all parties can see merit in.

Always bear in mind that one false move could potentially cause a total breakdown of negotiations. However, if you apply the above methodology you will earn the respect of those involved, educating them in the process and ultimately inspire a better way to resolve conflicts.

Negotiation may seem in the main like common sense, and to a degree it actually is. However, as we know from our society many issues end in confrontation either directly or in court, so this skill is definitely a must for everyone. Equally, this skill is transferrable from the workplace to home, so never underestimate its benefits.

We live in a world where there is seemingly conflict and pressure in every corner, so be inspired to negotiate a better path through difficulties. Negotiation can truly earn the respect of those around you as you “listen”, “understand” and “compromise” to achieve an amicable agreement for everyone involved.

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