16 Jul How To Negotiate Effectively

When people discuss negotiation skills they often think of manipulation and car sales people or bartering in a market over the price of an inexpensive item. The truth is that negotiation happens daily and being unaware of this can cost us in; our career progression, our financial position, our personal success and even in our relationships.

It took me a long time to realise this skill wasn’t just for sales people or big negotiators of mergers and acquisitions. This is a skill for everyday life and especially for careers.

Negotiation is often a challenge because it is perceived as a conflict and we typically choose a fight or flight response. People are also competitive so this “need to win” can actually hinder our ability or desire to negotiate. There are many reasons negotiation is avoided and doesn’t work in practice but here is the tip, avoiding it will cost you dearly.

I spoke with Lloyd Barrett, Head of Retail Australia and New Zealand, The Gap Partnership about the skills of successful negotiators on the Fast Track podcast. Here’s what we found:

• Confidence, listening, resilience, calm under pressure, and patience are all your personal success tools.
• Planning and strategy, spending time on the parameters and facts, alignment and time are your guiding principles for success.