Our young professional lives require negotiation on the regular.
Whether it means asking your boss for that raise, discussing weekend plans with your significant other, or getting out of a parking ticket – knowing your way around a debate is always a good idea.
On Monday, we brought you some no-fail terms to use when negotiating. But if you don’t have the basics down, the words alone aren’t going to help you.
So here are nine notable negotiation tips to help you start owning the conversation.
1. Plan ahead.
Unless you’re negotiating with your little niece or nephew, plan ahead. Do any research required, know what you’re asking for, have your key points ready, and consider factors like timing. For example, asking your boss unannounced for a raise first thing Monday morning is probably not a good idea.
2. Believe in your case.
If you don’t believe in your case, nobody else will. Be confident and stand your ground. Clearly this conversation is the product of careful thought on your end, so don’t second-guess any of your supporting arguments. You’ve got this.
3. Listen.
Don’t be so consumed with what you’re about to say that you don’t actively listen to what the other person is saying. Don’t just listen; process everything before you respond.
4. Don’t reveal all your cards at once.
Rank your key points and messages beforehand in terms of priority. Don’t throw all your cards down on the table at once – you may need one later on in the game (and that may not mean today).
5. Don’t quantify your request off the bat.
Whether you’re buying a new car, asking for a raise, or negotiating a salary for a new job, don’t offer numbers and figures off the bat. You making the first offer means that you’re setting the price – and that doesn’t always work to your benefit. Maybe your boss was considering a larger raise, or perhaps that car salesman was going to sell for less than you offered.
6. Make it attractive to the other party.
The key to any negotiation is reciprocity. It needs to be attractive for the other person, or they need to clearly understand why what you’re asking for makes sense for the both of you. For example, if he gets a wild weekend away with the guys, you deserve one with the ladies. Right?
7. Don’t get emotional.
Of course, listening and processing what someone else is saying and presenting your argument rationally only works if you keep your emotions out of it. Much like arguing with your significant other, things can go from bad to worse once emotions get in the way.
8. Know what you’d be happy with.
Have a clear idea in your head of both your best-case scenario and what you would be happy with (the minimum you’re ready to accept). That way you’ll know when to walk away without any real losses.
9. Don’t make any rash decisions.
In most situations, it should be acceptable to ask for some time to process and reflect on the conversation before making any decisions on the spot about it. If the conversation didn’t exactly go in the direction you had hoped, weigh the positives and negatives that came from that conversation and come up with a new plan.
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