3 Basic Rules that are Sometimes Forgotten in Negotiating

#1. Be sure you’re negotiating with the right person.

Dealing with the decision-maker solves so many problems in the negotiating process upfront. We’ve all, at some point, found ourselves in that situation where we’ve heard these words: “Well, this looks good to me, but you know we need to run this through the committee.”

 #2. There is more than one persuasion to consider.

You need to persuade the other parties that your suggested course of action is: 1) good for the company, 2) good for the department, and lastly, 3) good for them personally! 

This last negotiation is especially tricky because many times the culture of an organization will not permit people to be that open about their personal needs. In my experience, government negotiations are good examples of that. 

 #3. Nail it down before you move on.

As you work through a negotiation, be sure and close every door before you move to the next phase.  For example, when you’re leaving the phase where both parties have disclosed all expectations and demands, be sure you have them all! Get good closure. Nail down that this is the complete list. If I’m dealing with someone live, I’ll physically draw a box around the list of demands/requests.  I’ll nail it down.

These could be considered basic, but they’re crucial, and they’ll save your skin time and again.