In the Boardroom: Successful Negotiation Tips

The following is a tip from author and speaker Greg Williams on how important self confidence is in negotiating

 

When negotiating, as in life, our self-confidence creates our reality; in so doing, it shapes the perception that others have of our reality. When displaying confidence during negotiations, we lend outward appearance to our reality.

When you display confidence during a negotiation, the manner in which it’s perceived by the other negotiator depends upon their perception, and thus the way you cast your confidence should depend upon with whom you’re negotiating.

Take into account the two following real life situations …

1. One negotiator in his early 40’s found himself constantly negotiating with people in the age range of late 50’s to mid 70’s. This individual felt overwhelmed by the age difference between himself and those with whom he was negotiating, due to his perceived lack of experience, when compared to the older negotiators. He compensated for his perceptional mismatch by adopting an older physical appearance. Thus, he used a physical characteristic to serve as a positioning tool. After doing so, he noted the people he negotiated with held him in higher esteem. In essence, he altered his physical appearance and enhanced his self-mental perception. This in turn allowed him to increase his self-perceived and projected confidence.
2. Another negotiator in his late 30’s never had a problem with his negotiations or confidence. He negotiated in many environments and with people in many different age groups. His secret … he possessed a very dynamic personality and a very open and honest heart. He never gave the appearance of taking advantage of a negotiation situation and people respected him for it. His source of confidence was his outlook on life. He maintained the perspective that everything would always turn out right for him.

If you’re going to inspire confidence, you have to have confidence. When you negotiate, always do so with confidence. If you enter into a negotiation and you don’t possess confidence, infuse yourself with the inspiration of it. In so doing you’ll increase your outlook and the probability of achieving a successful outcome to the negotiation … and everything will be right with the world. 

The Negotiation Tips Are …

• When negotiating, always consider the roll confidence plays in the negotiation. By doing so, you’ll create more negotiation opportunities. 
• In a negotiation, the way you view yourself determines how you will position yourself. Position yourself from a perspective of confidence and you’ll set the tone for the negotiation.
• Prior to entering into a negotiation, determine the best way to project your confidence and position yourself appropriately. Make that a factor based on the perspective the other negotiator has of you and the way in which you wish to alter that perspective.

by Greg Williams – The Master Negotiator. If you’d like more information on how you can become a savvier negotiator, click here to checkout Greg’s new book, “Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More.”