How to improve negotiation skills

The five principles below will assist you in breaking down this intimidating process into a series of reasonable and frequently necessary strategies.

Here are tips to improve negotiation skills according to CMA Consulting based on their negotiation training courses in New Zealand:

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1. Recognize the importance of comprehensive planning

We all know we should prepare extensively for negotiations, but we often fall short of our most excellent intentions. It is a significant issue: research reveals unprepared negotiators make unnecessary concessions, neglect sources of value, and walk away from favorable accords. The most critical step you can take to improve your negotiation skills is to prepare for crucial meetings thoroughly.

Setting aside a specific amount of time each day to do your research and study, developing a negotiation checklist of tasks to do, requesting the assistance of a negotiation coach, and role-playing the negotiation with a trusted friend, family member, or colleague are all examples of this.

2. Negotiation training should be approached proactively

Avoid the trap of passively recording the significant points mentioned by your instructor if you decide to improve your bargaining abilities through a structured training program. Consider how these themes apply to your discussions in addition to taking notes. What implications do the theories provided have for your practice? If you're unsure what a concept means in practice, ask for clarification or a concrete example.

3. Be prepared to make errors

Negotiation training can be a challenging endeavor. Instructors frequently have students participate in role-play scenarios aimed at, at least in part, to uncover weaknesses in their thinking, such as an overconfidence bias. According to Bazerman, when students realize they've been making decisions based on incorrect intuition, they typically feel scared and defensive. However, such action is not indicative of a personal flaw.

4. It is said that practice makes perfect

Bazerman argues in the Negotiation. Briefings newsletter that developing novel ideas into intuitive methods takes time and experience. Negotiation training and study help us put principles into practice, but the change process does not end with the training. You must remain vigilant as you prepare to apply newly acquired negotiation abilities in the workplace.

Consider what you've learned. Consider which themes you'd like to use the most in your discussions and put them into practice both at work and at home. Experiment with new negotiation skills and methods with friends and family, who are more inclined to overlook your blunders.

5. Find a skilled negotiator

When you're in the middle of a major negotiation, there's a good chance you'll be able to turn to someone in your company for expert counsel. Effective negotiation coaches focus on developing your negotiation abilities rather than simply instructing you what to do in a given situation. Look for a negotiating coach who can assist you in setting goals, determining which strategies to attempt, and deciphering what transpired afterward.

Jessica Tanner

Update 04 October 2021