NFIB

Negotiating Win-Win Situations
11/ 04/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

Any negotiations expert would tell you that a successful negotiation is one in which you can find a win-win situation. Excellent negotiation skills, according to Rob Engelman, president of Engelman Management Group, are not reserved solely for attorneys, power brokers and CEOs. In fact, strong leaders and managers in any organization should be well versed in key negotiation skills or risk losing out on valuable resources within their own company.

Here are six tips Engelman recommends to improve the likelihood that you'll get what you need in any negotiation situation:

Prepare. Walk into the negotiation setting knowing what you want and anticipating what the other side needs. "Good negotiators are not ruthless risk takers who use power and threats to get the other side to give in," Engelman says. "Good negotiators are really world-class problem solvers who realize that they need the other party as an ally to help strike a deal."

Develop attractive alternatives. Have options in case you can't reach an agreement. This will prevent you from settling on an undesirable outcome. For example, if you are buying a car and you do not like the price being offered by the dealer, you have many choices such as talking to the sales manager, going to another dealer who sells that same car, looking at different makes and models of cars or keeping your current car.

Ask questions. What do they want? Why do they want it? What is most important to them? "Strong communication skills are critical to creating successful negotiations," Engelman says. "Asking questions, lots of them, and really listening to what the other side needs will help you build rapport and trust with the other side, which will make it easier to find a winning solution."

Be flexible and stay creative. The best solution for all parties may not be evident right away. When negotiating, it's important to stay flexible and think creatively. If you can find ways to add value to the overall terms of the deal (otherwise known as expanding the pie), it's likely that you will be able to get more of the pie for yourself.

Do not make one-way concessions. If you give a little, they should give a little too. Even when you're dealing with difficult people, you should be able to create power in situations where you might otherwise feel powerless. Don't let the other person sitting at the table dominant you.

Change your attitude. If you have always entered negotiations with dread, it is time to change your attitude. When you have the mind-set you will lose something important, then you will.

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