Five Surefire Ways to Win in Negotiating

It is often said that most people don’t really listen, they just wait to reply, and that is not always a good strategy if you want to win in negotiating. And while producing a killer reply is an excellent skill to have as a negotiator, if you have the true ability to sit back and size up a situation without emotion or immediate reaction, the ball will often be right where you want it: in your court. Negotiating is a heavily nuanced art though, with many ways to reach the desired outcome. Here are fire surefire ways to win:

1. Be prepared. This cannot be stressed enough. Understand the history behind the dispute, research all parties involved, and weigh out the best potential outcomes to be negotiated. Be ready mentally when you walk in, and if possible, set the location, decide how comfortable (or austere) you want it to be—and whenever possible, set the tone for negotiations too.
2. Make the first offer if you are confident in your strategy. This can be extremely effective in anchoring the deal if you have a solid offer and are firm about it. If your ‘anchor’ is weak, however, you could find yourself at a terrible disadvantage. Weight this out carefully and discuss it with your client at length.
3. Understand why the opponent thinks they are right. In most cases, the other side does believe they are operating from the ‘right’ side and may clearly see you as wrong. In being able to understand where everyone is coming from, you will have the ability to outline a better compromise and agreement or settlement.
4. Keep the end goal in sight rather than getting drawn into or allowing the dispute to continue indefinitely. Focus on the big picture rather than getting distracted by small details or petty comments that may be better ignored. But most importantly, understand what it is you and your client hope to achieve as the result of negotiating. Know ahead of time what you will consider to be an acceptable settlement.
5. Consider whether there may be other negotiations with this party in the future. If so, it is more important than ever to put your best foot forward and leave them with the impression that you were firm but fair to work with.

Are you interested in becoming a skilled negotiator? Our mission at CDTA College of Law is to educate, train, and develop extraordinary legal advocates. Your legal education will be comprised of bar-tested academic subjects, skills training, and values reinforcement. Upon completion of your 4-year course of study you will be fully qualified to take and pass the California Bar examination. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.