I Have a Hostage...Send Someone to Negotiate!

Negotiation is a learned skill that can greatly benefit anyone in various situations. It might be perceived that only business students find it a helpful tool to learn, but this skill can actually benefit anyone in any discipline. Further insight about negotiation, including some basics can be found below!

Do Your Homework

Think critically about all the variables involved. A person that is better informed then the opposition, has leverage when it comes to a negotiation. Separate the core issues and assign value to different variables. Knowing what is more important can help a person decide on what they are willing to give up or not give up.

Know When to Walk

Sometimes walking away is the best choice to make. Carefully think through the different alternatives and come to a conclusion about the situation. Confidentially walking away can discourage the opposition from attempting to gain more in the current situation or in the future.

Listen

Active listening can go a long way in a negotiation. Even if a point is unimportant, listening to the oppositions thoughts can help empower some of your own points. Listening can also uncover any underlying issues that might be not communicated right away.

Tradeoffs

Not all negotiations can be won and sometimes you need to come to a settlement where a tradeoff might or might not occur. It is important to pursue some sort of tradeoff even if you are not winning the negotiation. If you don’t tradeoff, it is likely that the opposition will attempt to negotiate for more as they see this as a sign of weakness.

Source:

http://b2bsalesgroup.blogspot.ca/2007/12/simple-negotiation-tips.html