When I was a young lawyer at Union Pacific Railroad, the Assistant Vice President of Law told me that 85 per cent of my success would be based on how well I got along with others. Thirty years later, this advice has been proven right in all areas of my life, especially, in negotiations.
Successful negotiations are all about using soft skills to find the sweet spot where a favourable outcome can be reached for all sides. When people feel like they are being heard and valued, they are more likely to agree and cooperate in the process. Because negotiation is a discovery process for both sides, better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.
View negotiation as a process of discovery
The discovery process begins with this fact: we do not know what we want. We may think we know, but negotiations would not be successful until we get down to the ‘why’ of wanting something. This stage of curiosity will lay the foundation for the problem-solving required to reach a solution.
The ‘why’ is not easily found, and it will require you to develop the mentality of an investigative journalist. What motivations and needs do both parties have? You can only find out these answers by asking questions and skillfully listening to the answers. This negotiation strategy can create and promote a healthy climate of intellectual curiosity and openness throughout the negotiation process. However, it requires learning and using your soft skills.
Here are a few tips to help you hone the skills needed to conduct winning negotiations:
Ask the right questions and listen to the answers
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trust is a must
Trust a belief in the abilities, integrity, values, and character of any organisation is one of the most important management principles.
Listen To Your Customers
A good customer experience management strategy will not just help retain existing customers but also attract new ones.
The hand that feeds
Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.
Survival secrets
Thrive at the workplace with these simple adaptations.
Plan backwards
Pioneer in the venture capital and private equity fields and co-founder of four transformational private equity firms, Bryan C Cressey opines that we have been taught backwards in many important ways, people can work an entire career without seeing these roadblocks to their achievements, and if you recognise and bust these five myths, you will become far more successful.
For a sweet deal
Negotiation is a discovery process for both sides; better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.
Humanise. Optimise. Digitise
Engaging employees in critical to the survival of an organisation, since the future of business is (still) people.
Beyond the call of duty
A servant leadership model can serve the purpose best when dealing with a distributed workforce.
Workplace courage
Leaders need to build courage in order to enhance their self-reliance and contribution to the team.
Focused on reality
Are you a sales manager or a true sales leader? The difference, David Mattson, CEO, Sandler® and author, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Key Principles For Sales Leaders, maintains, comes down to whether you can see beyond five classic myths that we often tell ourselves about selling.
