Negotiation skills are crucial in business – and crucial in life. Effective negotiation opens the door to promotion and success, as well as improving negotiation outcomes and overcoming challenges. It’s a skill that so many leave it late in life to acquire but one that can provide essential support to career development early on.
Acknowledge that it’s time to make a change
One of the hardest parts of advancing negotiation skills is admitting that you might be in need of some help. If you know that you could do better on the negotiation front then be proactive about finding solutions. Formal courses and training are a very good place to start. Find the one that is right for you and then commit to the process – speak up during the training sessions, ask questions and find ways to contexualise what you’re learning so you can better apply it to your situation.
Commit to better preparation
The most skillful negotiations are usually informed by knowledge. Those who go into negotiations underprepared are often the first to make concessions and aren’t able to call on the necessary information to make the right point at the right time. Research and preparation are as crucial to a positive negotiation outcome as what happens during the negotiation itself. So, if you want to improve the way that you negotiate it all starts with how you prepare.
Accept that you’ll make mistakes
Whether this is during negotiation training or in an actual negotiation, no one is perfect and all of us make mistakes. The key is to find the lesson in the mistake and to learn what you can from a situation that has gone wrong. Feeling threatened or becoming defensive when you make a mistake will only curtail your ability to learn from it or find a more positive outcome. Remember that making mistakes isn’t an indication of problems or shortcomings in you, it’s simply highlighting where improvements could be made to take you forward on your negotiation journey.
Do as much negotiating as you can
If you’re going through a formal negotiation training process then you should have plenty of opportunity to practice. However, when it comes to this kind of practical skill there is simply no such thing as too much practice. So, whenever you are presented with the opportunity to negotiate, step up and practice what you’ve learned so far. Each situation will add something different to the negotiating skills that you already have and will provide an opportunity to grow and develop further.
Find a mentor
Alongside negotiation training it’s often useful to find a mentor to steer you through the process of improving the way that you negotiate. This is usually someone with a proven track record in negotiation who will be able to give you personal insights, offer advice and also provide assistance when it comes to practice and preparation.
Our
Advanced Negotiation Skills course is specifically designed to help you to update, review and assess the way that you negotiate and to take your skills to the next level. Contact PTP today on 01509889632 to find out more.