No matter your line of work, chances are you engage in negotiations on a regular basis. Therefore, knowing how to leverage negotiation tactics can help you in nearly every facet of your business. This starts with building a personal negotiation style that works for you. This is a lot like crafting an outfit that fits you perfectly- it should match your personality, values, and communication style. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you develop a style that works for you.
1. Know Yourself
Understanding your own personality and behaviors is the key to building a personal negotiation style. Are you more assertive or accommodating? Do you tend to lean more towards facts or emotions? Are you comfortable with conflict, or do you try to avoid it? Understanding your natural behaviors will help you develop a negotiation style that feels comfortable and allows you to be your authentic self.
2. Define Your Core Values
What are the core principles that define you when things get tough? Do you stand for fairness, efficiency, transparency, or loyalty? Your style should be an extension of your core values, so it feels authentic. For example, if you value long-term relationships, a collaborative approach might suit you well, even if you have practice becoming more assertive. You want to choose negotiation tactics that feel natural to you and allow you to stay true to your core values.
3. Learn and Understand Basic Negotiation Styles
There are five classic negotiation styles based on the Thomas-Kilmann model.
Competing: Competitive negotiators are assertive, less cooperative, and can make quick decisions even when the stakes are high.
Collaborating: Collaborative negotiators are also assertive, but cooperate and work well with others to try and achieve a win-win outcome. They are willing to give and take so everyone feels like they have achieved their goals.
Compromising: Compromising is an important strategy when you are working on a limited time frame. In this type of negotiation everyone has equal power and you seek middle ground.
Accommodation: An accommodating negotiator is unassertive but cooperative and values relationships over outcomes.
Avoiding: These types of negotiators are unassertive and uncooperative and tend to let their emotions guide their decisions.
Once you know and understand these basic negotiation styles, you can decide which ones sound most like your natural personality and would be the easiest to develop.
4. Practice in Low-Stakes Situations
The best way to figure out which negotiation style best suits you is to practice. Start small, with everyday conversations such as haggling over a price, negotiating chores at home, or asking for an extension on a deadline at work. Try using different negotiation styles (competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, accommodating) and what styles work best in different situations. Each time, ask yourself what worked, how it made you feel, and if it felt natural.
5. Create a Playbook
You are now ready to create your own personal negotiation playbook. Write down your strategy before starting the conversation and consider:
-How you will begin
-How you will handle pushback
-Go-to phrases
-Your non-negotiables
-Your body language
6. Be Flexible and Adaptable
Remember that your style doesn’t have to be set in stone. Pay attention to how the conversation is going and be prepared to pivot and adapt if needed. Your style should never be so rigid that you don’t make changes when necessary. Consider the people, the stakes, and the power dynamics, and remember to be flexible.
The best negotiators are those who can participate in effective conversations while being authentically themselves. That’s why it is so important to develop a negotiation style that works for your personality. If you want to learn more about how to develop a personal negotiation style, start by enrolling in our Negotiation Training courses. We can help you better understand different negotiation styles and how to apply them to your own personal strengths. Call today to learn more about our training courses!