Many entrepreneurs, convinced of their infallibility and knowledge, love to act spontaneously. This is primarily due to laziness. It concerns the lack of awareness of the importance of negotiations and how much they can give to their business. Lack of preparation is explained by the lack of time or the fact that “I am experienced, so I can handle it without any problems.” Meanwhile, the reality can be quite different. It may not be possible to negotiate favorable conditions for the company without proper preparation.
This is Due to Several Things:
- Due to The Lack of Clearly Defined Goals, without which it isn’t easy to obtain appropriate benefits,
- Due to Stress, which increases as a result of the awareness of the lack of preparation – unfortunately, it usually occurs already during the negotiations,
- Due to The Lack of Alternatives – when the only action plan fails, there is no other option because it is created during the preparation stage
Even the greatest knowledge and many years of experience in a given field or business negotiations do not release you from the obligation to prepare for the interview properly. Check how to do it effectively!
Business Negotiations – Step by Step Preparations
- Define the Subject of Negotiation
Business negotiations will only be effective if you carefully analyze their subject matter. Please focus on the main issues and topics that will be covered during them. You must consider all the problems that will be raised – not only by you but also by your opponent. It is extremely important to be able to respond appropriately and, at the same time, be prepared for questions or issues that might surprise you.
Example? Business negotiation can be very complex, so make a list of possible problems that can be raised. Then consider each of them. Imagine what the other side might ask you and prepare (preferably on a piece of paper) appropriate answers.
- Define Your Own Goals
Once you know the subject of negotiation, you can move on to defining your own goals. What do you want to achieve? What minimum benefits do you find satisfactory? Is there any chance of something more? What is the hierarchy of goals and aspirations? By knowing your own goals and creating their hierarchy, you will know what concessions are worth making or at what level to start negotiations.
The best way to prioritize is to create a list of goals and prioritize them according to their rank, for example, from most important to least important. Based on this, you will be able to choose the best solutions and alternatives that will help you achieve your goals.
- Define the Opponent’s Goals
Setting your own goals is only half the battle. Remember that there are two parties involved in business negotiations, so in addition to identifying the opponent’s problems and the questions he may ask, define his goals and interests. What does the other side want to gain? How determined will she be, and what resources will she use to obtain both the minimum and the maximum benefits?
Remember that proper preparation for negotiations should focus primarily on the interlocutor. Thanks to this, you will feel confident, and during business negotiations, there will be no issue that could surprise you.
- Select Options (Solutions)
Knowing your own goals, it is essential to create an action strategy and develop solutions. It is thanks to them that the achievement of these goals will be possible. Here you are looking for ways to surprise your interlocutor, and you choose the methods by which you will be able to force your arguments. If you’ve read our previous entries, you probably know that you have many choices in terms of the options available. You have the opportunity to use various negotiation techniques, you can learn about the methods of persuasion and manipulation, and you can adopt the appropriate attitude:
- Hard, where you are like Tony Montana, and you go to your goal, pushing your elbows out, without the slightest scruples,
- Soft, where you avoid confrontation and make concessions, as long as they will be beneficial to your interests,
- Matter-Of-Fact, in which you treat your interlocutor as a partner and strive to ensure that negotiation in the business end in a win-win situation, where everyone is a winner.
- Choose Alternatives
What will you do when you fail to achieve the goal you have set for yourself? You have to find alternative solutions because, without them, you will stay at a standstill and will not give yourself a chance to develop your own business. Follow the rules in line with BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), which should, first of all, determine all possible actions that you can take in the event of a failure of the negotiations, as well as seek the best solutions in the most difficult situations (e.g., when one must choose “the lesser evil”). Payday Loans Fort Worth TX is also a good alternative. That way, you’ll be prepared for any eventuality – even when business negotiations fail.
Business Negotiations – An Art Worth Mastering
The art of negotiation is something that you learn for years. It must go hand in hand with excellent substantive preparation and experience – even those negotiations that failed can be a perfect lesson. If you want to become a champion, you need to learn techniques, ways to achieve your goals, and, of course, to properly prepare to face your opponent.