Negotiation is an art to master in both your personal and professional life. You will have to negotiate a salary increase, a little more flexibility in terms of hours or even more responsible missions, at least once in your life. So how can you achieve your goals in the professional world through negotiation? Discover all the techniques to master this art!
Negotiating is not the same as manipulating. Rather, it is a satisfactory compromise between two parties. Imposing your choice on the other person, without showing flexibility, risks creating tensions in the long term. It is therefore far from being a winning strategy. It is important to listen to the arguments of the opposing party and try to balance the negotiation as much as possible. Indeed, negotiating is an art and you need to know how to master your techniques!
Questions to ask yourself before a negotiation
Negotiation qualities and techniques are not innate, they are developed by ensuring good preparation. Negotiations cannot therefore be improvised and you must master the art of oratory.
It is essential to establish, beforehand, the objectives that you wish to achieve with this negotiation, develop your arguments, define the limits not to be crossed and the concessions that you are ready to make. It is therefore important to ask yourself the right questions.
Who are the actors involved in the negotiation?
It is crucial to list all the people who will have a direct or indirect impact on this negotiation. Draw up a list of stakeholders who will be present on the big day and who will be involved in decision-making, defining their role in the company.
Defined subsequently the strengths and weaknesses of each person. This will allow you to put forward arguments adapted to their answers. It is by knowing their strengths that you will avoid going into their areas of expertise and focusing especially on questionable points. However, you should not overuse it at the risk of frustrating your interlocutor and creating tensions which will harm you later.
You must also find out about the offers offered by competitors to support your words with tangible arguments and avoid being caught off guard during the negotiation.
After having defined the strong and weak points of each party, as well as the competing offers, all you have to do is identify stakeholder needs and objectives. This will help you have a vision of what you can offer that is likely to be accepted.
What objectives are hidden behind this negotiation?
Before a negotiation, it is important to have a clear and well-defined image of what you want to achieve. Don’t hesitate to write down your numerical objectives: “benefit from a 10% increase in my salary” or “obtain 3 days of teleworking instead of one day”.
The ideal would be to define a high range and a low range, which will facilitate your negotiation and guide you throughout your argument.
What technique should I use to negotiate well?
There are two opposing negotiation strategies to adopt: the cooperative strategy and the competitive strategy.
The first is to seek common ground that can meet the needs of both parties. The negotiation will therefore be mainly focused on the search for compromise and a common solution. This is a very good strategy for maintaining healthy and constructive relationships over the long term. However, we must not lose sight of our objective and make concessions.
The competitive approach, on the other hand, will only have one winner. The advantage gained by one party is lost by the other. This is a very risky strategy which will have very serious consequences in the long term. Your objective will certainly be achieved in the short term, but the atmosphere at work risks greatly suffering.
Once your strategy and technique have been adopted, all you have to do is write your arguments and put in place supports (graphs, testimonials, produced documents, etc.) which will bring more credibility to your words. The people opposite will more easily retain concrete data.
Key elements to keep in mind during a negotiation
Respect the opposing party
It is important not to take anything personally during the negotiation and to make a difference between the relationship maintained with the person and the elements brought during the exchange.
This exercise requires serious effort and work on yourself. It is essential to keep your cool and not be tempted by attacks or personal devaluation. This will lead to a conflict situation which can be easily avoided. The key word during negotiations is therefore: respect. Above all, try to establish a climate of trust and constructive exchanges.
Finding consensus and a common solution
It is smarter to be open-minded and consider the interests of the opposing party when arguing. If you stick to your positions without giving the other party a chance to argue, the negotiation risks ending quickly and leading to conflicts and attacks.
Everyone has the right to express themselves and present their interests without censorship. The goal should be to find common ground and move forward together. You must therefore listen and show empathy to understand your opponent’s positions.
Tangible data
Data and concrete facts have the particularity of making an impact and bringing a touch of credibility to your words. It is recommended to use figures and neutral information which will serve as support for the elements you mention during the negotiation (market state, market average, conventions, etc.).
Finally, it is recommended to take the negotiation seriously and not be tempted by improvisation, at the risk of being taken by surprise and failing where you could have scored points by preparing in advance. You must therefore imagine all possible scenarios and carefully prepare your arguments without neglecting those of the opposing party.
