By guest blogger, Nick Rojas
Want to improve your negotiation skills? You certainly can, utilizing these exercises during daily negotiations.
Negotiations are a big part of life, and you may not even realize it. You negotiate at home, work, the gym and even with the family pet. Negotiations simply can’t be avoided.
Harnessing the power of negotiation skills should not be avoided either. People who possess powerful negotiation skills get the most out of life. But being a savvy negotiator does not always mean someone has to lose.
“A good negotiator will work toward a win-win scenario, always considering the deal from the other side’s perspective,” according to Fortune.
How do you become a powerful negotiator? Employ these exercises to enhance your negotiation skills, and get the win-win in nearly every aspect of life.
1. Negotiation Skills Begin with Saying No
The word “no” is not something most people say very often. You may have trouble saying no to your friend who needs help moving, or someone who wants to cut the line at the supermarket.
However, saying no is an essential exercise for honing your negotiation skills. Saying no more often will allow you to become more comfortable with saying it, and you will be more successful.
Warren Buffett says, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.”
2. Exercise Your Research Muscle
Research is another vital aspect of honing your negotiation skills. Before you approach any negotiation, you need to have done your due diligence.
Whether you are buying a new sofa or closing a million dollar business deal, research is at the forefront. Exercise your research muscle by learning best practices.
You want to become a master at following breadcrumbs that will get you the answers you need for the win-win at any negotiation table.
Want additional insight? Download Productivity Hacks for Business Owners
3. Become a Body Language Expert
You may have heard that nonverbal communication accounts for 90 percent of communication. Some believe this to be true, and some think it’s less, explains Dr. Jeff Thompson in a Psychology Today article.
Whether nonverbal communication is 90 percent, or 55 percent, it is an important element of your negotiation skills.
Excessive blinking and uncomfortable shifts in a chair are subtle hints that can give you better insight into another person’s mind and decision making process.
Unfortunately, the only way to use this exercise is to practice a lot. If you like people watching, you are in for a treat. Start with people you know, and expand to strangers when you’re ready for a challenge.
4. Practice Makes Perfect, Employ Negotiation Skills Everywhere
Practice certainly makes perfect, and this remains true when developing your negotiation skills. The more you negotiate, the more savvy and confident you will become.
Exercising your negotiation skills everywhere will make you a better speaker, and you will also begin building a rhythm in each negotiation. From doing the dishes to the boardroom, never stop negotiating.
5. Negotiation Skills Depend on Your Active Listening Abilities
Active listening is one of the most essential elements of becoming an expert negotiator. You may think you’re a great listener. However, “listening” and “active listening” are actually quite different.
You need to paraphrase, inquire, and acknowledge for powerful active listener development. Active listening will allow you to ask crucial questions and respond to your negotiation partners in a meaningful way.
According to Harvard School, “The skillful negotiator orchestrates these aspects of active listening to draw out the other party’s concerns and feelings, with an eye toward asserting his own viewpoint and engaging in joint problem-solving.”
Exercise those negotiation skills and become more confident in every aspect of life. You will find success following those newly honed negotiation skills, and you will begin negotiating everything. Personal and professional development are important, so take a powerful approach with negotiation.
Need more help boosting your negotiating skills? Check out our webinar, Getting to a Win-Win: How to Hone Your Negotiation Skills, presented by P.J. Timmins of TAB Ireland.
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