Resolving conflicts means facing undesirable situations, but sometimes that is just inevitable. With appropriate negotiation tactics, we will be able to deal with this scenario (the conflict), which occurs sometimes in virtually every job. Stay close to your goal and develop your ability to negotiate with these 5 tips:
1. Build confidence to gain advantage
It is not about winning or losing, but about managing the interests of both parties in order to satisfy everyone. One of the key issues lies in increasing confidence during the negotiation. Building trust means respect, and mutual respect means that a relationship in a favorable environment for both parties has been established.
Sometimes reality makes us deal with people who are very different from each other and pursue different goals. Therefore, it is very important to improve our negotiating skills and to develop our ability for conflict resolution. By learning these skills, we will be able to avoid being intimidated, and at the same time, we will achieve our goal.
Read more: How to get the most important information from the other party to reach a win-win agreement
2. Listen to ensure trust
How to manage the interests of both parties so as to generate an atmosphere that will be favorable to reaching an agreement? Listening is one of the most effective negotiation methods, not only to really understand what our interlocutor is saying and what their concerns and interests are, but also to show that you are an active listener and you are really paying attention.
To listen and to let others know that we are listening is the best way to guarantee that a conversation will come to fruition. In our previous post, “how to listen during a negotiation“, we explained how experts not only “hear”, but they try to perceive the emotion, feelings and intentions of the speaker.
3. Cooperate to establish long-term relationships
Negotiating means cooperating, so that both sides can get the result they pursue. To achieve this ideal status, known as win-win agreement, you must clearly define what your goal is, as well as the best possible alternatives you are willing to accept if no agreement is reached.
Clarity when exposing your proposal, and the confidence you have shown throughout the negotiating process, will serve to resolve the conflicts that arise during conversations with the other party. That confidence, and your willingness to cooperate at all times, will help you establish long-term relationships, beneficial to your business and your present and future objectives.
4. Define the BATNA
The “Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement“, or BATNA, is a technique that every good negotiator usually keeps as support during the process. The BATNA is the hypothetical scenario that occurs when none of the parties manage to reach an agreement. It is not the most desirable situation, but sometimes, for different reasons, it simply happens. Therefore, it is advisable that you start preparing your negotiation having clear, in advance, what your BATNA is.
In other words, having a well-defined BATNA will allow you to have a “plan B” in case you cannot close a deal. This alternative will allow you to significantly broaden your room for maneuver during negotiations and reach the agreements that you want to reach.
5. Control your verbal and non-verbal communication
Just as important as listening is the ability to communicate properly during the negotiation. Here, both verbal and non-verbal language come into play, so you will have to consider not only your words, but also your posture, your facial expressions, the way you nod while listening to the other party, etc. The person on the other side of the table should feel that you understand what they are saying, whether you agree with them or not in the first instance. Maintain eye contact and do not interrupt; you can ask whatever you need to ask later.
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What is your surefire method to get to close a good deal? Share it!