LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – You have a ‘no’, you can get a ‘yes’. Well-intentioned advice, but to get a ‘yes’ you sometimes have to negotiate a bit. How do you do it successfully?
Negotiation is sometimes a challenge
For those who want to achieve something on a professional level, negotiation is often part of the job. Not everyone finds this easy: after all, you need a healthy dose of assertiveness and self-confidence to proclaim and defend your professional wishlist at the negotiating table. To negotiate successfully, you need to have a few specific skills, which unfortunately are not negotiable.
7 important skills
1. Listen
A negotiation conversation is not a monologue but a dialogue. Therefore, try to actively listen to what the counterparty answers or proposes. This way you can respond smartly to unexpected turns in the conversation and you don’t miss any double bottoms with a message.
2. Solve it
Problems are there to be solved, even if they don’t really exist yet. Therefore, try to view your professional wishlist from different perspectives and proactively propose solutions that prevent possible problems. This shows that you have thought about it thoroughly and that you mean well.
3. Read the body language
Sometimes one look or posture says so much more than 1000 words. Try to watch and “read” the body language of the person in front of you. It is best to keep your own body language as neutral as possible.
4. Use your persuasiveness
Be confident and sure of your piece. Convince the counterparty with relevant assets and successful examples of your approach. Sell ​​yourself in a professional manner but know your value.
5. Think empathically
Enable your empathy and negotiate at the right time. Does your boss give you a signal that he or she is short on time? Then wait a while: better to negotiate at a later time than at the wrong time. Stay calm and stay in control of your emotions, even if the conversation goes in a direction you don’t want or expected.
6. Keep it short
Don’t go around the pot, but get your message short and sweet. An endless intro or an overload of questions and unsolicited information distracts the counterparty from the actual issue: your professional wishlist. Therefore, prepare yourself well in advance for the interview.
7. Stand up for yourself
Feel free to show your vulnerabilities, but stand up for yourself. Can’t handle the high workload anymore? Be honest and propose an alternative approach (e.g. delegating work, setting priorities etc) that is acceptable to both parties. Do you want a promotion? Put your enthusiasm, zeal and success stories in the spotlight.Â
