1.2 Key Negotiation Skills

So, you want to master the art of negotiation? There are key skills that can help you achieve that. Consider a master negotiator as having a consultant-type role within the negotiation as we dive into the key negotiation skills.

Active Listening

One of the key skills for master negotiators is the art of active listening. Active listening is much more than simply hearing, it involves developing an understanding of the other party’s position and interests. Before a consultant can propose solutions, they need to understand the client’s needs and concerns; otherwise, their solutions will not satisfy what the client is truly looking for.

Communication

Communication is at the core of the negotiation process. But it is not just about what we say, but also how we say it. Both verbal and non-verbal communication are key players in effective negotiations. We need to know how to both create and deliver messages to the other party that will persuade and compel them to engage or continue to engage in the negotiation process.

Emotional Intelligence

Negotiations can be very emotional discussions. When parties agree to engage in a negotiation, it is because they believe that they can achieve a better outcome through this process. This process means a lot to them, or they would simply look for a more efficient solution. Effective negotiators can manage their own emotions and understand and manage the emotions of the other parties. They understand how to channel emotions in a motivational way so that an effective solution can be found. They also know how to persuade the other parties of their positioning and their interests through the management of their emotions. Consider our consultant in a high-stakes business project – emotions will be running high, but the consultant’s role is to keep everyone focused by managing emotions effectively and focusing all parties on the end goals.

Problem-Solving

Going back to our example, a consultant’s role is to identify issues or opportunities and develop solutions. Negotiation is essentially just that – a problem-solving exercise. We know that an opportunity exists by virtue of the parties coming together to engage in a discussion, so we need to come up with solutions that benefit all parties in some way.

Decision-Making

Finally, master negotiators are effective decision-makers. Think back to the definition of a negotiation; the goal of the discussions is to eventually make a decision. Just like a consultant assesses different options and then proposes a solution, we need to be able to evaluate different scenarios and options and reach a final agreement.

As we dive deeper into the art of negotiation, we will develop these skills or tools by applying them to negotiation scenarios.