In the business world, is there anyone who can avoid negotiating altogether? At one point or another, everyone needs something from someone else so that they can complete the job in hand. Basically, nobody works in a vacuum: support of some kind is always required, either from inside or outside a company, to complete even the simplest tasks, and help always comes at a cost.
Many of the professionals who have personal contact with their clients on a daily basis don’t realise that their interactions are negotiating exercises, and even if they do know a few techniques to ensure success in this area, they often feel uncomfortable applying them.
The best strategies are those that are simple and appear harmless. Let’s take for example the “4Ps” strategy:
- identify the Problem, which is the situation that needs negotiating;
- the Process, which begins with definition of the problem and ends with an agreement;
- the People involved, whether directly or indirectly;
- the Parameter, which is the boundary that influences decisions, such as budget, and that allows you to approach each discussion with the right mindset.
Organised thinking and a systematic approach are key, and work even better when you strive to be kind and productive: being courteous at all times ensures that discussions run smoothly. Until the negotiation is concluded, and results have been obtained, no business relationship is sustainable.
