How can you become more influential in negotiations?

Negotiating is a skill that can help you achieve your goals, whether in business, career, or personal life. However, it can also be challenging, especially if you lack confidence or influence. How can you become more influential in negotiations and persuade others to see your point of view? Here are some tips to help you improve your negotiation skills and boost your confidence.

Find expert answers in this collaborative article

Selected by the community from 2 contributions. Learn more

1 Know your value

Before you enter a negotiation, you need to know what you have to offer and what you want to get. Research the market, the industry, and the other party to understand their needs, interests, and expectations. Then, identify your strengths, skills, and unique selling points that can add value to the deal. Communicate your value proposition clearly and confidently, and show how it can benefit the other party.

Add your perspective

Adeleke David Adekunle

Economy & Career Strategist | Business Intelligence & Controlling | UIUX/Product Design | Author | Certified Management Consultant
Report contribution
Negotiations offer an opportunity to get what you want and for other party to get what they want. Before you proceed into a negotiation, you must be clear about what you want and what is most important to you. It is very important to clearly identify your underlying interest. This is different from what you want. Your interest is the goal; what you want is a means to that goal. The other party does not know this, and that is why you must focus on protecting your interest by willingly giving up what is not important to you so you can get what you want. This understanding is by far the most important factor that influences successful negotiation outcomes.

Like

2 Build rapport

Influence is not only about logic and facts, but also about emotions and relationships. To become more influential in negotiations, you need to build rapport and trust with the other party. Rapport is the feeling of connection and harmony that makes communication easier and more pleasant. You can build rapport by using positive body language, mirroring the other party's tone and gestures, asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and showing empathy and respect.

Add your perspective

Adeleke David Adekunle

Economy & Career Strategist | Business Intelligence & Controlling | UIUX/Product Design | Author | Certified Management Consultant
Report contribution
Common ground eradicates barriers. At the negotiation table, focus on the person and not the topic of discussion. Build bridges and create a connection. It is easier to get people who like you to agree with you than to get someone who doesn't care about you to consider your offer to be valuable. Try investing the first few minutes into getting to know them to find areas of common ground and interest. That would help the negotiation to flow smoothly.

Like

3 Use framing

Framing is a technique that involves presenting information in a way that influences how the other party perceives it. Framing can help you highlight the benefits of your proposal, address the concerns of the other party, and create a sense of urgency or scarcity. For example, you can use positive framing to emphasize the advantages of agreeing with you, or negative framing to warn about the risks of rejecting you. You can also use contrast framing to compare your offer with a worse or better alternative, or social proof framing to show how others have accepted or endorsed your offer.

Add your perspective

4 Ask for more

One of the common mistakes that people make in negotiations is asking for too little or accepting too quickly. This can undermine your influence and confidence, and leave money or value on the table. To avoid this, you need to ask for more than you expect to get, and be prepared to justify your request. This can give you more room to negotiate, and signal to the other party that you value yourself and your offer. It can also make the other party feel more satisfied if they get a discount or a concession from you.

Add your perspective

5 Be flexible

Being influential in negotiations does not mean being rigid or stubborn. It means being flexible and adaptable to the changing circumstances and needs of the other party. Flexibility can help you find common ground, overcome impasses, and create win-win solutions. To be flexible, you need to have a range of options and alternatives that you can offer or accept, and be willing to compromise on some issues. However, you also need to have a clear bottom line that you will not cross, and be ready to walk away if the deal is not favorable.

Add your perspective

6 Practice and learn

Like any skill, negotiating requires practice and learning. The more you negotiate, the more confident and influential you will become. You can practice your negotiation skills by taking courses, reading books, or joining clubs or groups that offer opportunities to negotiate. You can also learn from your own and others' experiences, by asking for feedback, reviewing your performance, and identifying your strengths and weaknesses. By practicing and learning, you can improve your negotiation skills and achieve better outcomes.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How can you become more influential in negotiations?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your value

2 Build rapport

3 Use framing

4 Ask for more

5 Be flexible

6 Practice and learn

7 Here’s what else to consider

Confidence Building

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Confidence Building

More relevant reading