The Art of Negotiation: Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

Negotiating is a useful skill to have in many situations, from purchasing a car to negotiating a pay raise. Below is a list of the common negotiation mistakes, along with some helpful tips for negotiating successfully.

Common Negotiation Mistakes:

1. Poor planning and preparation
2. Ignoring potential conflict
3. Arguing instead of trying to influence
4. Losing one's temper
5. Showing impatience
6. Using intimidating behavior
7. Misunderstanding/not understanding nonverbal messages

Tips for Negotiating:

1. Make sure that you understand the needs and goals of both parties going into the negotiations.
2. Establish dominance by being friendly, dressing for success, and, if possible, choosing the place to negotiate. Helpful hint: if the other party remains standing, you remain standing too.
3. Always have the other party first establish the floor and/or the ceiling.
4. Adding on to the above point, also always negotiate outside the bracket (the minimum and maximum).
5. Get information—remember, information is power.
6. Don't be afraid to use silence as a tactic!
7. Try to answer a question with a question. For example, a salesperson asks: "How much are you willing to pay for this item?" You respond: "How much do you need for this item?"
8. Be willing to walk away.

For more tips and techniques like these, join our excellent instructor, Professor Robert J. Ash, for the Art of Negotiation, and be sure to take advantage of the first three FREE video tutorials!