Yep, in business circles, I'm known as ‘The Negotiator'. The common line is ‘are we negotiating?' My answer — ‘Always'.
Negotiating is the art of bargaining, with the object being two or more reaching a common goal. Negotiating facilitates mutually beneficial agreements and is therefore crucial in all areas of business. The main focus should be on getting what you want, while developing or building good relationships with whomever you are negotiating with. Negotiating is an important business skill – you'll get better with time and experience. With good negotiating skills, you'll have the power to boost your business and transform a good business into a flourishing one!
Good Negotiating Prerequisites
Negotiating requires sound communication skills to be able to communicate your requirements effectively — this means, don't be shy. During your conversation, you should be able to gauge the requirements of the other party. For effective negotiations, balancing the needs of both the concerned parties is equally important. You should have thorough knowledge about your company, the projects your company is currently handling or has handled before and the products or services it offers — you should also know about the company that you are negotiating with!
You should be able to analyze an offer and make quick and good decisions, depending on the situation. To make profitable decisions, you should have a clear objective when negotiating a business deal. Without prior assessment of the deal and the situation, you will not be able to decide whether the deal should be accepted or turned down. You should be able to evaluate the risks involved in a proposal.
Most savvy businesspeople expect you to negotiate, and if you don't, they may wonder if you're really serious or if you know anything about business. So don't be shy — get out there start negotiating right now!
