Negotiation is an everyday affair for all of us. They say it depends on your convincing skills and your compromising ability. But is that completely true? Isn’t convincing and compromising, the effect of your overall perspective and thought process, and most of all your preparation for the worst?
Negotiation exists everywhere: it could be as big as a salary hike/ promotion to as small as asking for a leave. Every point of argument can lead to negotiation, especially for non-technical points. So, the art of negotiation is a must for everyone to learn.
Many behavioral and work-related aspects affect negotiation but most importantly it depends on how well you are prepared for your worst-case scenario. This is a part of the Defensive pessimism approach. Knowing all sides and possibilities describe your thoughts and preparation towards the worst-case scenario, that what if you lose in all your arguments, are you still prepared to get up and stand on your feet.
A proper, logical, well-thought, practical, considering all sides, one should start negotiating. If you have done this before, you might have now concluded that when you are prepared with all the result possibilities, you can have your way more confidently and there are higher chances that the final decision will be in your favor.
This blog gives you the most useful tips for negotiation conversations.
There are certain pre-requisites, in order to negotiate better, which are-
A) You need to have a good grip on the topic/point of discussion
B) You need to understand how indispensable you are for that point of discussion
C) You need to be realistic, confident and have better communication skills
D) You should demand what you deserve, and not extra
Please note: These points are well applicable to salary negotiation conversations as well.
Yet, in spite of deserving a certain position or a certain benefit, the other party may not give you what you ask for. In such cases, negotiation becomes a key element to meet your demands, bring in a win-win situation. This article primarily focuses on negotiation through greater confidence and communication skills, assuming that you are well aware of points (A) and (C).
In order to be confident in any argument, the first and foremost thing is to understand your worst-case scenario.
The worst-case scenario is what you have to face when your negotiation fails. So, once you identify what your worst-case scenario is, see what you can still do to survive the following scenarios in a better way.
• If you are confident that it can be faced without any hassles, you can easily deal with the negotiation. In fact, you will be able to talk about your demands with greater intent.
• On the contrary, if your worst-case scenario cannot be faced or can be faced with hiccups, you need to negotiate carefully. You have to ensure how you can completely avoid a failed negotiation. Pro Tip: You should not look too demanding.
If your demands are met, well, good for you, otherwise, you need to adjust to the outcomes, at least for the time being.
To conclude, negotiation is an art, and mastering it is absolutely necessary for corporate setups.
Sometimes, we have to be very strong in our negotiations to get what we deserve. In such a case, prepare yourself well and handle the situation with confidence. Even if others consider you to be too demanding, they will understand your position at a later date.
But be sure you are demanding what you deserve;
Exploiting the company during the negotiations, especially when you are indispensable might give the benefit for a short period of time, but it does not reap any benefit in the long run;
Your greed will push the company or the other party to definitely look for alternatives; and at a later date, you could lose what you got in the first place.
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Also Read: Observational Learning in Corporates