As an accountant, the majority of people that you negotiate with will be people or businesses that you need to maintain good relationships with long term.
Regardless of what you're trying to achieve, we all need to be able handle complex negotiations and difficult situations when they arise. It's no good to 'win' the negotiation if the other party feels like they have 'lost'. The aim is to find an outcome that both parties agree.
To be able to negotiate successfully there are a few practical things to think about in advance. Planning in is key to any negotiation as it better prepares both sides to make decisions and will allow you to be more confident. There are a few questions you should be thinking about going into a negotiation…
- What do I want?
- What do I think the other person wants?
- In what ways would I be prepared to compromise?
- What would a win win situation be?
It is also important to choose your technique and know how you are going to negotiate. The key negotiating skills of speaking, listening and understanding are essential in every negotiation. Consider different ways the conversation may go and think through how you might respond, doing this will leave you feeling more prepared to engage throughout the negotiation.
Our course, Negotiation Skills: The Principles, will give you practical negotiation techniques and strategies which will help you to plan your negotiations and give you the greatest chance of success.
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