Negotiation Skills

Different Styles of Negotiation

There are variety of styles of negotiation, depending on the circumstances. Where will you do not expect to deal with the people ever again, and you also do not need their goodwill, it might be appropriate to play the hardball. Here you can seek to win the negotiation, while other person losing out. Many people do go through this situation when they buy or sell the house, that is why buying a house can be such a confrontational and an unpleasant experience.

Similarly, where there is great deal at the stake in negotiation, for an example, in the large sales negotiations, then it might be appropriate to prepare the detail, and use the gamesmanship to gain the advantage.

These approaches usually are wrong for resolving the disputes within the team. If the person plays the hardball, then this will put the other person at the disadvantage. Similarly, using the tricks and the manipulation during the negotiation could severely undermine trust, damaging the subsequent teamwork. While the manipulative person might not be caught if the negotiation is infrequent, this is not a case when the people work together on the day-by-day basis. Honesty and openness are best policies in the team-based negotiation.

Preparing for the Successful Negotiation

Depending on a scale of disagreement, the level of preparation might be appropriate for conducting the successful negotiation. For a small disagreements, excessive preparation could be counter-productive because it do takes time which is better focused in reaching the team goals. It could also be seen as the manipulative because just as it do strengthens your position, it weakens the other person.

If the major disagreement needed to be resolved, preparing thoroughly for that is required, and worthwhile. Think through following points before you could start negotiating.

• Goals:
  What you want to get out from the negotiation? What do you expect from the other person?

• Trading:
  What you and the other person have which you can trade? What do you and the other person have so that the other wants it? What might you both be prepared to give away?

• Alternatives:
  If you do not reach the agreement with him/her, what alternatives you have? Are these things good or bad alternatives? How much it matters if you do not reach the agreement? Will the failure to reach the agreement cut out future opportunities? What alternatives may the other person have?

• The relationship:
  What is a history of relationship? Can or should this history impact negotiation? Will there be any of the hidden issues that might influence negotiation? How you will handle these?

• Expected outcomes:
  What outcome would people be expecting from the negotiation? What was the outcome in the past, and what precedents been set?

• The consequences:
  What are the consequences of winning or losing this negotiation by you? What are the consequences of winning or loosing by the other person?

• Power:
  Who has the power in the relationship? Who do controls the resources? Who stands to lose most if agreement is not ben reached? What power does other person have to deliver which you do hope for?

• Possible solutions:
  Based on all considerations, what possible compromises might be there?

Next  >>  How to Negotiate