Most of us negotiate regularly. Sometimes privately and sometimes professionally. Professionally, many of us tend to negotiate internally about our budget, resources, projects, personnel, etc. But there are also some of us who also carry out commercial negotiations with an external counterparty.
There are a number of factors that influence how successful and effective you are in professional negotiation, whether internally or externally.
These success factors are: Power (Psychological Advantage), Strategies & Tactics, Preparation & Planning, Your Behaviors.
All these factors are important, but Makten has perhaps the most myths surrounding it. How to get it? How important is it and, if so, how should one use it effectively?
In studies, we find that Power or the Psychological Advantage is based on a number of parameters:
Is there a plan B solution? Also called BATNA (Best Alternative to the Negotiated Agreement).
Are you prepared? (clear mandates, priority of points to negotiate, etc.)
Knowledge (of the counterparty and the subject)
Confidence - your negotiation skills
To increase your power (psychological advantage) in negotiations, you need to work with all parameters above.
When this is done correctly , you feel a psychological advantage in the negotiation. That is the mental power that you feel is in your head - but seen by your counterpart. In studies, we see that it is important to feel power, at least to the same level as your counterpart. But feeling empowered doesn't necessarily mean you have the upper hand.
One should also be careful with power. Negotiating groups that feel great mental power sometimes have a strategy of negotiating the most difficult points first. That is these negotiators may enter the negotiation to negotiate a win-loss outcome; instead of finding a workable agreement that is good for both parties.
This is important to consider as many of our professional negotiations tend to be in long-term relationships. That is, there is a weekday after the actual negotiation when a business, a contract, or an operational activity must be carried out together with your counterparty.
In summary - through the right preparations, you can create a mental power within your own negotiation group. But once you have it, it should be used carefully as the goal is to find a joint and long-term agreement with your counterparty (win-win).
Power is a success factor. There are more factors that you need to master before you become a good negotiator.
How much do you prepare your negotiations to create a psychological advantage?
Good luck in your negotiations!
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