There’s no pressure in business quite like the pressure associated with having to close a big sale. Whether you are responsible for lining up the shots and knocking them out of the park on your own or you are part of a larger team working to acquire a successful contract, you need to remember one thing: everything is negotiable.
Despite what you might think, you are allowed to ask for anything and everything you want in order to justify doing the deal. A lot of people approach a deal thinking that they need to appease the other party in order to walk away with a deal, but it’s important to remember that you need to get something out of the deal too. It has to be about more than money. So before you go into a situation where you will need to negotiate important terms, start by determining what your terms actually are and then decide to stick to your terms.
Decide What You Want and Be Opened to the Rest
When you decide ahead of time what you need to get out of the deal – and not just what you can get – you’ll be more open to negotiating other terms that are not as important to you. This is an important step for anyone having to negotiate terms for themselves or a business because it allows you to be clear on your needs and remain amicable to the other pbusinessarty. Not only does it set you up for success, but it makes it so that the possibility for everyone to walk away happy is heightened.
Using this one tip can also help you remain calm and confident during your negotiations. It also allows you to be able to hear the options and give yourself time to think because you already know what you want to hear and see throughout the process. When you are looking at the negotiations through a cold approach, you will miss things. Having gone through the conversations in your mind ahead of time means that you can think better on your feet and be more agile in your approach.
Negotiation Skills Can Be Learned
Sitting down to participate in negotiations, either for the first time or the hundredth time, means that you need your wits about you and your listening skills turned up to ten. Whether you are trying to negotiate a contract for your business or on behalf of your business, or you are just trying to negotiate a new rate for your mortgage at the bank, knowing what you want to get out of the interaction helps your efforts go a long way.
Negotiation skills, despite what many people might think, can be learned. You are not out of luck if you weren’t born with stellar negotiation skills. You can upgrade your skills, have confidence in your skills, and get more done as you continue to develop that confidence. Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to getting what you want. A simple tip: decide ahead of time what you want instead of letting others tell you what you can have and you’ll likely find that you’ll get more of what you ask for in life and in business.