Ask yourself these 7 questions before negotiating

Ask yourself these 7 questions before negotiating
Ask yourself these 7 questions before negotiating

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Like it or not,

Like it or not, you are a negotiator. Everyone negotiates something every day. 

Success in any negotiation comes from education, preparation, and practice. About 90% of negotiations are in the planning.

To create real opportunities in negotiations, you need to understand the fundamental principles to help identify your goals and the interests of the other parties involved, and to prepare effectively.

Here are seven questions you should ask yourself to help organize your ideas when preparing for a negotiation. 

What commitments should you

What commitments should you plan to make?

The best outcomes in any negotiation come when we prepare ahead of time, and in doing so, you are able to predict a realistic outcome of the meeting. 

Before any negotiation, given time and resource constraints, consider determining what commitments, which can be a formal contract or a verbal agreement, are you willing to make.

What do the people

What do the people affected by negotiation really want?

Identify potential stakeholders and their needs, wants, and motivators. These are the drivers in any negotiation, and prioritizing them can help you identify common interests.

Don’t forget to identify your own underlying interests and how you would prioritize these interests.

Is this a one-round

Is this a one-round or multiple-round game?

Depending on whether you think the relationship has a future or not will determine your behavior. For instance, rational behavior in the short-term may seem irrational in long-term relationships.

So if it’s best for your self-interest to choose Option A and it hurts when the other party chooses Option B, your goal in a short-term relationship might be A, but in a long-term one, to merely prevent the other party from choosing B. 

Instead, maybe you’ll consider a tactic called “logrolling” which yields to issues that you care about because you know the value is greater for the other party.

What am I going

What am I going to do if I don’t reach a deal?

Before any negotiation, ask yourself, what you will do if you don’t reach an agreement at the current bargaining table.

To identify the best alternatives, you need to know what’s called your “Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement,” or BATNA. 

For example, if you are trying to buy a house, what other homes have similar characteristics? If you’re a job candidate, what other jobs might you be interested in? 

What’s the best way

What’s the best way for each side to communicate what they want?

Good communication is at the core of every successful negotiation. 

People make assumptions in negotiations that are not always true. These assumptions can change how people approach negotiations, and can change their attitudes toward negotiations. 

Through clear and trustworthy communication, we can learn what the other party’s preferences really are.

The next time you’re

The next time you’re about to sit down at the bargaining table, remember that none of us is born a great negotiator. 

However, like everything else in life, through practice and preparation, our understanding and skills can improve and maximize to garner better, more favorable, win-win results.

How can we create

How can we create value by capitalizing on shared interests?

Imagine that you asked your boss for a raise. If they say no, consider the reason. Then try to figure out if you can get to “yes” by satisfying your boss’s interests. 

In negotiations, we often neglect the possibilities when we create value, which can maximize gains for all parties involved.

Communicating can help you see what others’ preferences really are. There may be a lot of ways to address them that don’t cost you as much.

What criteria seem most

What criteria seem most relevant and persuasive?

As humans, we all have a cognitive need for fairness. We want to be treated fairly, so when we feel like the other party is taking advantage of us, we’ll likely reject the offer, even if the alternative is economically a worse deal.

Negotiators should use criteria that all parties are familiar with. 

When establishing legitimacy, know the standards of practice or objective criteria that seem the most relevant and persuasive, and possibly the standards the other parties will likely use.

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