You Get What You Negotiate

In life, you don’t get what you “deserve,” you get what you negotiate.

It’s simple, negotiation is a skillset you must master if you want to achieve the life that you are after. This goes for anything in life. Whether it’s finances, career driven or even relations, negotiation in the key to getting the outcome you are looking for. That being said, it’s no wonder why so many people live unfulfilled lives, they simply lack the ability to negotiate in their best interest. Therefore, if you are needing to brush up on your negotiation tactics, try out these tips so you can begin to negotiate life on your terms.

Learn to listen

So many people miss out on great opportunities simply because they don’t listen. When negotiating, you have to hear out the other party. This is how you gain the information you need to go for the kill. If you listen, 9 times out of 10, the other party will express to you their needs, their concerns, their non-negotiables and you can craft a rebuttal that addresses all of the above. This gives you the advantage of empathy. Afterall, negotiation isn’t just about your agenda, you have to compromise and understand the needs and wants of the other party. If you do this, people will be more open to negotiating with you and eventually help you to get what you want.

Be Yourself

Most people can see through your bullshit, therefore when negotiating, it’s more beneficial for you just to be yourself. This will help you to build trust. It creates a better environment for open and honest discussions which will help you and the other party work together to achieve a deal suitable for the both of you. At the end of the day, when people trust you, they will do anything to help and support you, giving you yet another advantage when it comes to negotiating.

Don’t Oversell

No one likes the pushy salesman. Therefore, it’s important to practice expressing what it is that you want without going for a hard sell. Let your needs speak for themselves. Be open and honest about what it is that you are looking to get out of the negotiation, but also be a storyteller. You have to keep your audience captivated and make them excited about working with you. When you get good at storytelling, people want to be a part of that story—and they want to help others become part of that story too.

Understand Mistakes Will Happen

We’re all human, no one is perfect. Mistakes will happen. However, most of the time the mistake won’t be your undoing, it’s how you handle it. The quickest way for a mistake to become your downfall is by pointing the finger or not acknowledging it at all. The best thing for you to do is apologize. People are more forgiving than you may think. Remember, sincere gratitude is a powerful emotion to convey and opens many doors.

While these tips only touch the surface of bettering your negotiation skills, they are a good place to start. Mastering negotiation will open doors for you that you wouldn’t even believe. It gives you the power to go out and grab whatever it is that you want in life. So stop, accept less and negotiate your way to getting what you feel you “deserve.” After all, nothing in life is given to you, it’s up to you to find a way to make it happen.