If you want a sure-fire way to succeed at negotiations in high-powered negotiations then learn these 7 principles of negotiations expressed through 7 timeless quotes:
Principle 1: Negotiating is an essentially human way of
interacting. It is the way we progress. Adam Smith, the Scottish economist who
wrote “The Wealth of Nations” put it this way: “Man is an animal that makes
bargains. No other animal does this. One dog does not change a bone with
another.”
Principle 2: Negotiating is not about dividing up a
limited cake in ways that are divisive. It is about making a bigger and better
cake. David Ghitelman says that the key to making negotiations work isn’t a
scarcity mentality but an added value mentality: “Negotiating is about creating
value, not dividing wealth.”
Principle 3: Conflict is at the heart of negotiation but
only a positive view of conflict will result in a successful outcome. As Dean
Tjosvold said: “Co-operative conflict builds people up, strengthens their
relationships and gets things done.”
Principle 4: There is a time to speak and a time to shut
up in negotiations. When you do more listening than speaking, you actually increase
your power. Geoff Burch, the so-called “hell’s angel consultant”, put it this
way: “If you’re talking, you’re giving information and therefore giving away
power. If you’re listening and asking questions, you’re gaining information,
the raw material of knowledge, and therefore gaining power.”
Principle 5: In power negotiations, when the stakes are
high, let the other side believe what you want them to believe. But don’t lie
or be dishonest. Sun Tzu, the writer of the oldest military treatise in the
world, “The Art of War”, put it in these words: “All warfare is based on
deception. Therefore, when capable, feign incapability. When active,
inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are far away. When far away,
that you are to lure him. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.”
Principle 6: Recognise that you will only reach
agreement by understanding the deeply-held needs of the other side. In Frank
Romer’s words: “People will sit up and take notice of you if you will sit up
and take notice of what makes them sit up and take notice.”
Principle 7: You can only succeed in negotiations with a
win-win attitude. To quote B.C.Forbes: “Any business arrangement that is not
profitable to the other person will in the end prove unprofitable for you. The
bargain that yields mutual satisfaction is the only one that is apt to be
repeated.”
If you are new to
negotiations or still struggling to master the skill, remember these 7 quotes.
They are words of wisdom passed down the years and invariably learnt by the
painful lessons of experience.
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