The goal of any negotiation is to get the other side of the table to see things your way. Hmm, how are we going to make that happen? What you are going to have to do is to become skilled at finding ways to support the position that you are taking. In order to get better at doing this, I’ve got 5 tips that will boost your skills…
Tips For Reaching A Deal Faster
If you want to be able to reach a deal with the other side of the table faster, then you’re going to have to take the time to give some thought to what it’s going to take in order to get them to see things your way. In other words, you’ve got some persuading to do. Here’s how to make that happen:
- Do You Want Me?: It turns out that all of us, including the other side of the table really want to be courted. We want others to want us and to take action to win our favor. The other side of the table will be looking for you to complement them, to say nice things to them, to be friendly towards them, and to listen closely to what they have to say. Doing this will win them over to your side.
- Numbers Don’t Lie: There is something almost magical about facts & figures. When one side of the negotiating table presents a set of numbers both sides seem to accept them as being set in stone – they are numbers so they have to be correct, right? You need to be aware that all numbers always need to be challenged when the other side introduces them; however, feel free to bring your own numbers to the negotiating table and watch the other side start to see things your way.
- More Is Better: A very peculiar characteristic of us humans is that if one side of the negotiating table asks for something that is going to require a large change of opinion on our part, then they are more likely to get it than if they ask for a smaller change of opinion. The reasons for this are a bit mysterious, but it seems to have something to do with the fact that we can get our hands around small requests and this means that we’ll debate them more. Bigger requests seem to go through with less discussion. Always request more.
- I Recognize This Request: Your ability to get the other side of the table to see things your way will be improved if you take the time to shape your requests. The more that you make your request “look” like something that the other side has already agreed to, then the better your chances are of reaching agreement with them. Acceptance is increased the fewer differences there are.
- Show Your Cards: Novice negotiators sometimes think that they can get away with pulling a fast one by just presenting one side of an issue. It’s their hope that if they talk quickly enough and use enough words, the other side will somehow forget that there is another side to the issue. This never happens. What does happen is that the other side realizes that you are trying to fool them and any spirit of cooperation that may have existed in the negotiation is now gone.
What All Of This Means For You
Every negotiation has the same goal in mind: finding a way for all parties involved to reach a successful deal. The challenge comes from finding a way to get from where everyone starts out to agreeing on that deal in the end.
Skilled negotiators know that they need find ways to support their position if they want to have any hope of reaching a deal in a reasonable amount of time. In order to make this happen, you can use the 5 tips that we’ve discussed in order to steer the other side of the table towards the deal that you want to strike. Try them out and you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you’re able to wrap-up your next negotiating session!
– Dr. Jim Anderson
Blue Elephant Consulting –
Your Source For Real World Negotiating Skills™
Question For You: What should you do if during a sales negotiation you become angry and don’t feel like wooing the other side of the table?
Click here to get automatic updates when The Accidental Negotiator Blog is updated.
P.S.: Free subscriptions to The Accidental Negotiator Newsletter are now available. Learn what you need to know to do the job. Subscribe now: Click Here!
What We’ll Be Talking About Next Time
The goal of any negotiation is to get the other side of the table to see things your way. Hmm, how are we going to make that happen? What you are going to have to do is to become skilled at finding ways to support the position that you are taking. In order to get better at doing this, I’ve got 5 tips that will boost your skills…