When it comes to negotiating, there is a general rule in which to follow: never accept the first offer. Some people worry about rejecting the first offer for fear of offending the other person, but in fact, the other person is fully expecting you to counter. When you don’t counter the first offer, you leave […]

Most of us have felt the frustration of feeling like we aren’t being heard. Perhaps your boss didn’t acknowledge your concerns or your friend refuses to take your advice. This frustration is the same feeling your potential client will have if you spend the entire negotiation talking about yourself. If you spend more time preparing […]

Despite popular belief, negotiation is not about bluff and bluster. In reality, the secret to a successful negotiation is to take ego out of the equation. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and arrogance can kill your opportunities almost immediately. All too often people walk into a negotiation with the mindset that […]

Many people prepare for negotiations by thinking about what they want to achieve, what they are willing to concede to achieve those results, and what bargaining power they have. Then, they prepare their opening statements, their best arguments, and they decide at what point they would choose to walk away from the deal. They try […]

  Negotiating can be a tricky process and it’s important to learn how to effectively navigate the process. One of the best practices in negotiation is learning to wait and exercises patience throughout the negotiation process. A quick solution may lead to a bad decision so you need to learn the art of waiting. Patience […]

There is more to negotiating than stating your proposed deal. Timing also plays an important role. When you negotiate can have a significant impact on the outcome of the negotiation process. Choosing the right time to negotiate can affect how alert people are, how interested they are, and how willing they are to listen to […]

Entering into an important business negotiation can be stressful and many people find themselves becoming anxious about their performance. No matter how well they have prepared their materials, they still feel nervous about how they will handle the negotiation process. While a certain amount of performance anxiousness is normal, you certainly don’t want to showcase […]

Negotiations will cease to have any meaningful result if the parties involved fail to communicate effectively. Many people get nervous or tongue-tied during a negotiation and they fail to get what they want. The problem is miscommunication. Oftentimes, what we say is misheard or misinterpreted in a way we didn’t intend. This can lead to […]

When it comes to business negotiations, your body language is just as important as the words you speak. People communicate through a variety of channels and spoken language is not the only way to exchange information. During a negotiation, you can also express ideas and command attention through your body movements and facial expressions. In […]

Negotiation is an art that requires planning, skill, and strategy. With so much at stake, many people are desperate to simply reach an agreement and finalize the deal. However, power negotiators know that despite your eagerness to reach a conclusion, you should never say “yes” to the first offer. Why? People expect you to counter […]