What are the Best Negotiation Strategies?

The best negotiation strategies and tactics come from understanding the negotiation process and knowing how other people use it. This allows the person negotiating to watch out for tricks another person might use to convince him that he's wrong. Negotiation is about working a problem out so that both parties are happy, but it's still best to know tricks that others use to get their own way. Certain people are less willing to negotiate than others.

Before the conversation starts, the person should prepare himself. He should make a list of the items he wants to discuss and what he wants done about them. He should know all the facts about not only what he's discussing but about counterarguments other people might make. In business, knowing facts and statistics to back up a certain point goes a long way. He should understand the different viewpoints and why others are arguing against him.

One of the best negotiation strategies is to truly understand the problem and what the competition wants. First, the person decides what he can compromise on and what he can't. Certain points he'll be willing to change or alter, but others he does not want to change. Next he identifies the problem and finds facts or arguments to back up his approach to solving it. Then he learns more about the people who do not agree with him and finds a way to make them happy without giving up on what he wants to see happen.

This strategy works in many areas of life, not just the business world. For example, a young couple may be fighting about who is going to pay the bills. Perhaps the wife is upset because her husband isn't paying as much even though he earns more. She could decide exactly how much she is willing to pay in bills, a certain percentage of her salary for example, and ask her husband to match that with the same percentage from his salary. Here, she uses numbers to support her claim, and also provides a solution that can make both people happy.

When a person is planning to discuss or negotiate with someone, be it a friend or a boss, it's important for him to understand the negotiation strategies the other person may use against him. The other person may try to avoid the discussion or argue so much it becomes difficult to finish the discussion. In this case, he should remain calm and come back to discuss the issue at a better time when the person is more willing to talk.

An opponent in the negotiation may try to bargain in a way that is not fair. For example, a new client may say he can only afford to pay a certain price even though it is lower than what the worker usually receives. To avoid this complication, the worker should simply say that he can only provide a certain quality of work or type of product for that price range. He should then ask the client if he wants to look at products or services with fewer features to match his budget. The client will either take a product that is worth the money he's offering, or offer more money for the product he really wants.

Though negotiation strategies and tactics may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but they are usual regardless of the situation. A person who wants to negotiate better should keep the following tips in mind. The negotiation is not an argument, but rather a debate to find a common solution that both parties can agree on. It's important to know what both sides want so the person can create a solution that fits everyone's needs. When he comes to the discussion prepared with solutions, facts, and examples of exactly why his solution is the best, he's more likely to get what he's asking for.