My family considers me their go-to negotiator…
While I am not ready to write a sequel to The Donald’s The Art of the Deal, I can offer you a few tips that will make you a bit better in your next negotiation.
1. Have Goals: Too often I’ll deal with clients or sales people that will say they go into negotiations with no clear goals for what they are going to try and accomplish. Me, I always have an idea of what I want to get out of a negotiation. For you, I want you to set a goal or two when you are about to negotiate. They don’t have to be big, but make them count in the context of what you are negotiating for.
2. Try Not To Make The First Offer: I like to try to get the other side to tip their hand. It isn’t devious, you just don’t have any clue what a fair deal is to someone else. So let the outline of a deal come to you.
3. Always Be Willing To Walk Away: This is one of those things you have to always be willing to do. You can’t put yourself in a position where you only have one deal to make. If it is a business deal, a job, whatever…try to have more than one deal in the works.
What do you think? What tips do you guys have?