Many people see business negotiations as a form of combat in which the opponent needs to be defeated. For the best results, however, it is better to use different, less aggressive techniques. If you view the person you are meeting with as a rival, you cannot reach a satisfactory result. Forbes.com published some advice on how to excel in the art of negotiating at business meetings.
Be open to new possibilities
Negotiations often begin with a fixed, unchangeable set of benefits that are the core of the meeting and both participants are trying to get as much benefit as possible for themselves. Then a tug-of-war begins. However, if the two parties truly talk to each other, they might be able to find a way to change the conditions of the meeting so that both parties can profit even more from the deal. In other words, try to find a way to increase the benefit for both parties.
Do not bluff
Do not try to trick the other participant in the meeting. Even a small bluff can make the other party lose any trust in you whatsoever – and then a mutually beneficial agreement will never happen.
Do not be afraid to say no
Some things are just not possible. If the other party is asking for something that is not possible on your part, say no. Such a refusal can, paradoxically, move the negotiations further. First, you do not waste time on this one point and you can move forward to find another solution; second, you will seem more trustworthy – instead of being vague and trying to cover up the fact that not everything is possible, you say directly that there is something which just cannot be done.
Prepare yourself for several possible outcomes
Be ready for various outcomes of the meeting. If each of the two parties has only one goal and they want to reach it no matter what, the meeting can end in disaster. If you have several options prepared and calculated in advance, you can choose among them during the meeting and eventually turn the negotiations towards one of the possible outcomes.
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