Bill Boyd’s
Bill Boyd is an international negotiation and training consultant whose customers include major oil, power, I.T. and chemical companies.
Visit www.inre.co.uk and www.billboyd.org
Use open questions to gain information.
Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. John F. Kennedy
The negotiation process is as old as human communication. It’ s an essential part of our professional and personal lives. It’ s the process by which two or more parties' try to resolve their differences to their mutual satisfaction.
The negotiation process is as old as human communication. It’ s an essential part of our professional and personal lives. It’ s the process by which two or more parties' try to resolve their differences to their mutual satisfaction.
You would think by now we would all be expert but that is far from the truth. Most of us end up paying too much, giving in too soon, settling for too little or if we are unlucky or unskilled all three.
So where do we go wrong?
So where do we go wrong?
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In thinking the other party has all the power. Not realising what they have to gain from us. You have already lost.
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Getting obsessed with one issue. We get caught up with detail and lose sight of the overall picture thus winning the battle but losing the war.
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Wanting something too much and being to keen. People who look like they want it least tend to get the most.
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Being too competitive, scoring points winning at their expense. You have the victory and they will have the sweet revenge.
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Not having alternatives forces us to get a result no matter what.
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Effective Negotiators:
do the following to give themselves space and time to achieve what they want:
do the following to give themselves space and time to achieve what they want:
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Ask twice as many questions as average negotiators.
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Summarise frequently to avoid confusion.
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Think long term, they concentrate on the future and effective relationships.
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Listen actively to avoid missing signal or key words.
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Are patient. A good quick deal is extremely rare.
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Plan effectively. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
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Are empathetic. They try to see the other parties’ point of view to help them achieve win-
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Focus on the facts and avoid personal and emotional attacks.
Win - Win Negotiation
Win -
Why win – win?
Overall its best to aim for win - win deals. Both parties feel they have achieved something, but not at the expense of each other. Resist the urge to “beat” the other side. Remember they probably know the same tricks as you, so put aside game playing and work towards long-term relationships. Their decision to do business with you is placed on how they perceive you. Win – win is difficult in practice because we concentrate on our side of the deal and don’t gain sufficient information about their needs.
Consider using visual aids to promote understanding.
