Steps in Attaining a Good Method in Negotiating with Other People

The Need for Techniques

If you've ever wanted people to immediately obey your commands without them even realizing what you're doing ...then this will be the most important message you ever read. Why? Because you've just stumbled upon the only proven, covert method for getting others to do as you say, whenever you want, wherever you want. This method is so powerful, so unique and so under-the-radar that some downright criminal people are using it to rob banks and supermarkets without the cashiers realizing they are handing over the money to them. They don't even have any memory of doing it! Click Here for the Power of Conversational Hypnosis Most sales people and business owners hear statements like this every day. That means it is important to learn how to negotiate more effectively. Here are five strategies that will help you improve your negotiation skills and drive more dollars to your bottom line: 1) Learn to flinch. The flinch is one of the oldest negotiation tactics but one of the least used. A flinch is a visible reaction to an offer or price. The objective of this negotiation tactic is to make the other people feel uncomfortable about the offer they presented. Here is an example of how it works. A supplier quotes a price for a specific service. Flinching means you respond by exclaiming, "You want how much?!?!" You must appear shocked and surprised that they could be bold enough to request that figure. Unless the other person is a well seasoned negotiator, they will respond in one of two ways; a) they will become very uncomfortable and begin to try to rationalize their price, b) they will offer an immediate concession. 2) Recognize that people often ask for more than they expect to get. This means you need to resist the temptation to automatically reduce your price or offer a discount. I once asked for a hefty discount on a pair of shoes hoping to get half of what I asked for. I was pleasantly surprised when the shop owner agreed to my request. 3) The person with the most information usually does better. You need to learn as much about the other person's situation. This is a particularly important negotiation tactic for sales people. Ask your prospect more questions about their purchase. Learn what is important to them as well as their needs and wants. Develop the habit of asking questions such as: "What prompted you to consider a purchase of this nature?" "Who else have you been speaking to?" "What was your experience with?" "What time frames are you working with?" "What is most important to you about this?" It is also important to learn as much about your competitors as possible. This will help you defeat possible price objections and prevent someone from using your competitor as leverage. 4) Practice at every opportunity. Most people hesitate to negotiate because they lack the confidence. Develop this confidence by negotiating more frequently. Ask for discounts from your suppliers. As a consumer, develop the habit of asking for a price break when you buy from a retail store. Here are a few questions or statements you can use to practice your negotiation skills: "You'll have to do better than that." "What kind of discount are you offering today?" "That's too expensive." Wait for their response afterwards. Learn to flinch. Be pleasant and persistent but not demanding. Condition yourself to negotiate at every opportunity will help you become more comfortable, confident and successful. 5) Maintain your walk away power. It is better to walk away from a sale rather than make too large a concession or give a deep discount your product or service. After attending my workshops, salespeople often tell that this negotiation strategy gives them the most leverage when dealing with customers. However, it is particularly challenging to do when you are in the midst of a sales slump or slow sales period. But, remember that there will always be someone to sell to. Negotiating is a way of life in some cultures. And most people negotiate in some way almost every day. Apply these negotiation strategies and you will notice a difference in your negotiation skills almost immediately.

o much of doing business involves bargaining that it's a shame so few people have a natural aptitude for it. Still, there's hope for the rest of us, especially if we learn from those who have mastered the art of negotiation. In 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Masters, business coach Allen Fishman offers these techniques he has learned from decades of working with top entrepreneurs and applied in his own negotiations:

1. Provide information to build trust  Tell your negotiating partner something meaningful he didn't already know. When Fishman's team conducted due diligence on one potential acquisition, it uncovered serious problems unknown to the current owner. Fishman revealed the problems to the owner and urged him to fix them even if the deal fell through. The owner's suspicion dissipated and they got down to serious talks.

2. Find the final decision-maker  Your first meeting might be with a subordinate who was sent to handle the early stages of bargaining yet acts as if she has the full power to negotiate a deal. If you ask her directly whether she has the authority to finalize the transaction in all respects, you'll likely get an honest answer, but she might not volunteer this fact. If you assume she's the final decision-maker, you might make all your concessions to her and have no ammunition left to offer the person with the power.

3. Keep it impersonal  Focus on the action you wish to achieve, not on whether you like your negotiating partner. Although he may have needs that conflict with yours, treat him as a person playing a role, not an enemy.

4. Use questions to pry open undisclosed information  If you ask a series of fact-gathering questions about the potential agreement, you might uncover a deal changer or breaker. Often you'll learn something your opponent wasn't hiding but simply hadn't thought about. Fishman once asked the owner of a real-estate property he wanted to buy whether the owner had any tax needs the deal's structure could help address. The potential seller had never thought of this possibility, so hadn't brought it up. But once Fishman heard the owner's tax concerns, he called a top tax attorney who found a way to address them. That paved the way to a deal.

5. React to body language  Many people reveal non-verbally that they're not as adamant about a negotiating point as they claim. When Fishman was negotiating a strategic alliance, he understood that his opponent's pursed lips meant that even though she was apparently rejecting a term he saw as essential to the deal she didn't in fact have her heart set on turning down the alliance. Without registering any emotion, he reworded the question slightly to change a minor factor in his proposed terms. She agreed without hesitation.

6. Laugh off intimidation tactics  In one negotiation Fishman witnessed, a six-foot-three man who towered nine inches over his negotiating partner moved in nearly nose-to-nose to put himself in the power position. But the shorter man didn't get rattled or angry. Instead, he smiled sweetly and said, "Jim, you're invading my space. If you want to get anywhere with our discussion, you'll have to back off."

7. Be the one with superior "butt power"  Many negotiations are won because the losing side lacks the patience to sit in endless meetings. Your own sense of urgency to conclude a deal can be your worst enemy, and an opponent who senses this might try to pressure you into a hasty deal by setting an arbitrary deadline. Ask yourself whether there's a logical reason for the deadline to exist. Some of the best deals are made long after a "final" deadline has expired.