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Hello my dear readers! Today we will talk about communication in the business sphere. After all, everyone knows that the ability to negotiate is a very important skill for everyone. It absolutely does not matter what you are doing — running a business or being an employee. It is important to be able to negotiate with subordinates, managers and colleagues. Because each participant in the transaction is interested in personal gain.
The meaning of the concept of «negotiations»
How often do you come across the concept of «negotiations» in everyday life? I think very rarely. This word is commonly found in the business world. However, I propose to figure out what it is and what are the rules for their maintenance.
I do not want to overload you with business terms, I will give a simple explanation “a la for dummies”. Negotiations are called putting forward proposals and discussing them in the course of a conversation, the result of which should be the adoption of a decision that will suit all participants.
The ideal outcome of a negotiation is a benefit that each side can reap. Partners, or opponents, must keep in mind that they have common or partially common goals.
The main mechanism in business negotiations, which serves as the key to mutual understanding, is the ability to yield and jointly determine the conditions for further actions. From this moment, the activity common to all participants begins, and the fulfillment by each of the opponents of the conditions they have previously defined is the key to the successful achievement of the goal.
Cases when you can start negotiations
The art of negotiation provides for a number of conditions when it should be started. Since we are talking about such a way of resolving the issue, where not only you are interested, I propose to consider these conditions in more detail.
So, feel free to start negotiations if:
- your time and effort are at stake;
- there is no alternative;
- it is impossible to pre-determine the result of the task being performed;
- there are no other options to achieve the goal;
- At the same time, there is partial agreement and conflict on this or that issue.
Regarding the last point, I would like to note that negotiations will not bear fruit in two cases:
- If everything is agreed between the opponents and everything suits everyone.
- If the sides have no intersection points. That is, both parties must be interested in the same result, otherwise they will not come to a common denominator.
What is important to consider in the process?
The party that initiates the negotiations should interest the opponents with its ideas, proposals, and assure that, if necessary, compromise solutions will be found to resolve disputed issues. There are also situations when you need to step back from your beliefs in order to obtain the desired result in the negotiations.
The important thing to remember is that before you enter into any negotiations, you should adequately assess your own gains and losses, and then try to find other ways to solve the problem.
Please note that if you are a representative of your company, you must have all the powers, in particular, you must be given the right to make decisions in the negotiation process.
Important elements of negotiations
Negotiations are an important component in various areas of life. And how successful they will be depends on the degree of your preparation for them. Let’s look at how to properly prepare:
- Prepare information — study all the questions that will be discussed.
- Be calm, try to behave in a balanced way.
- Stay cool, because if you start to get emotional in a conversation, you may make a mistake.
- Don’t make decisions when you’re nervous — take a break from the conversation and calm down. We recommend reading the article about the restoration of the nervous system and psyche.
Remember: your main enemies are doubt, anger and embarrassment, as they show your weakness.
Negotiation Methods
In the official psychology of management, 4 methods of negotiating are distinguished. It is not necessary to use only one method in the negotiation process, it can be combined. Let’s consider each of them in detail.
Method 1. Variational
This method can be used in the process of preparing for a conversation. Its essence is to distribute the expected result on:
- ideal;
- optimal (besides, not so important nuances that can be neglected should be determined);
- compelled within the expected time frame;
- opponent’s offer to be rejected.
You should think about all these options in advance, as well as plan the strategies that will be applied in each of them.
Method 2. Compromise
Compromise is considered one of the most important points in the negotiation process. It lies in the fact that opponents are ready to sacrifice certain nuances, taking into account the interests of the parties. As a result of this approach, instead of the original requirements, new ones are formulated.
It should be said that there are some difficulties in the compromise method. First, a compromised solution is a conditional agreement, since it may require greater competence and authority of the participants in the process. Secondly, the psychological aspect plays an important role. That is, in order to reach a consensus, both (or three, etc.) parties should show patience and restraint.
Method 3. Balancing
When balancing, each of the opponents carefully studies and analyzes the counterarguments put forward. This method will be relevant in 2 cases:
- In preparation for modeling possible paths.
- When you need to «play for time» (if a person does not want to take risks or he does not have enough authority).
The method is applied in the decisive (tipping) phase, in which the participant gives clear arguments to the counterparty.
Method 4. Integration
The most appropriate method of integration will be in a situation of positional bargaining, when the opponent insists on narrow departmental interests. For you, in this case, the goal is to convince your partner (or opponent) of the need to take into account social relationships, as they promise mutual benefit.
Conclusion
It is important to say that in negotiations, regardless of the method that will be used, only those people who have a high level of linguistic competence, as well as the ability to adhere to orthological and ethical norms, should participate.
We have collected brief information about the negotiations, which is enough to understand the essence of the preparation and conduct of negotiations. How to successfully conclude a deal, how to influence partners and achieve your maximum benefit — read about these and other nuances on the blog in the following articles.
For example, we recommend reading an article about the basic principles of persuasive speech.
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