How to Get a Better Outcome

You negotiate each and every day. It can be anything from “which program should we watch tonight?” to “What’s the best price I can get?”

So if you can improve on those skills, it will help you in everything from salary reviews to getting two staff members to work together better.

Here are nine tips to improve your success:

1. Be a Spice Girl — establish what you really really want. Before you even think of starting your negotiations, nut out:
   • Exactly what you want. Be concise. Write it down. Own it.
   • Your worst case scenario — what you will sacrifice or let go of.
   • Very best case scenario.
2. Consider it a chess game, preparation is key. List all your negotiation points. Have possible rebuttals and alternatives planned out. Start with a few points from your best case scenario that you’re happy to concede. Please don’t forget to be reasonable. Both parties need to feel they’ve been successful.
3. Know thy opponent. Rugby teams help prepare for their matches by watching videos of their opponents in action on the field. So research the party you’ll be meeting with. What perspectives will they will bring to negotiations? What are they like? What are their soft points? Have counterarguments pre-prepared against objections they might raise.
4. Face to face is best. You can’t see a twitch over the phone or anger set in while reading an email. Because non-verbal cues are so communication-rich, they can help you in your negotiations tremendously. Try to do your negotiating in person.
5. Have a huge you/I ratio. Plan each point from their perspective. Try to turn as many of your “I”s into “you”s as you can. For example, replace “I think” with “Do you think?” or “Wouldn’t you agree?” This brings the other side more personally into it.
6. Ask questions. Questions help get communication and understanding flowing. They are also a great strategy if you find yourself stuck in a corner. A well thought out question can both reopen discussion and uncover any doubts or concerns.
7. Use authoritative sources. Dropping in expert research or well known sources to back up your argument will give you credibility and increase your persuasiveness.
8. Silence is golden. We all hate awkward silences. Often silence takes over when both parties have spoken, and a concession is due. Learn to wait out the silences to your advantage.
9. See it. Believe it. Visualise yourself in the negotiation. Have it play out to your advantage. Observe yourself confidently employing the above strategies and coming out successfully.