Negotiation Skills

Negotiation For Better Business

Negotiation for Better Business Practices

Negotiation is a process where two or more parties having different needs and aims address a problem to find a solution which is agreeable to all, and helps to avoid future issues and conflicts. Good negotiations contribute much to business success, as they help in building better relationships. It is all about give and take. The aim should be creating a constructive interaction that is beneficial for both parties. A successful negotiation is where you can make compromises that mean little to you, while giving something to the other party that means a lot to them. Your approach should foster kindness in spite of the differences in party interests. A good negotiation satisfies each party so they are willing to do business with each other again. This article explains why negotiation is important, and outlines strategies and methods for negotiating well.

Do’s and Don’ts

The right communication can help boost your negotiation skills. Whether you’re trying to increase your starting salary at a new job or settling a business deal, strong negotiation skills are a must. Here are some approaches that work and few to avoid.

• Prepare –

One of the most successful negotiation strategies is preparation. Investigate about the person with whom you’ll be negotiating.  If possible, find out colleagues who have negotiated with the same person before, to have more knowledge of what you should expect.

• Know Your Bottom Line –

Before going into negotiations, be sure to identify your desired outcome and make an agreement with yourself and others. Setting a bottom line will enable you to know when to jump back from negotiations and when to move forward.

• Use a Friendly Approach –

When it comes to business negotiations, friendliness and affection go a long way, even as you’re aware of the need to be vigilant and not too open. Take time to smile and exchange humor. You may be surprised by how small talks can lead to mutual understanding, which can lead to smoother negotiations and a better outcome for everyone involved.

• Listen to Others –

The most important negotiation strategy is listening which many of us were taught early in our lives, but are still trying to master. When you’re eager to make a business deal, it’s easy to get involved in your talking points. The most effective negotiators follow more of listening and less of talking.

• Consider All Options –

No doubt, it’s important to know your bottom line but it’s equally important to keep a variety of options in mind. If business negotiations are done with a closed mind, you may miss an opportunity, you would not have considered otherwise.

• Don’t Get Caught Up in Emotions –

When it comes to business negotiations, don’t let your emotions carry away your approach. It interferes with our judgment and can also lead to strong errors that hinder or stop negotiations altogether. Stay calm and friendly, even if those you’re negotiating with aren’t.

• Never Underestimate Your Worth –

One of the biggest danger of negotiating, especially for those new to business negotiations, is undervaluing what your organization has to offer the other party. List your accomplishments or your organization’s strengths before going into negotiations, and keep them in mind as you speak for what you want.

• Stay Away From Having a Negative Attitude –

It’s important to remember that negotiating, in business requires compromise. The best negotiation techniques are those that focus on developing a mutually beneficial deal for both parties. One-sided thinking is not likely to end with a successful deal, so make sure you know which things are essential to your position and which points you can allow.

• Don’t Enjoy After a Win –

When your negotiation tactics produce your desired result, act as skillfully as you did throughout your discussions. After all, businesses change quickly. The person  in front whom you bragged yesterday may be the person you’re working with in future.

• Don’t Underestimate Anyone –

Regardless of the number of people or appearance of strength and size on either side, don’t underestimate the power of a firm rival. Financial worth and business size may be dominant, but so are preparation, a great plan, and a positive attitude.

• Compromising –

Both parties leave their earlier results and settle for an outcome that is satisfactory to each participant.

The strategy you choose will depend on who you are negotiating with and the type of relationship you have with them. It will also depend on what you are negotiating, and the time frame and circumstances you are negotiating in.

Skills Associated

The importance of negotiation in business can’t be underestimated. When it comes to our salary and benefits, we all realize the importance of negotiation. But the best negotiators in business recognize that these concerns are only a small component of a bigger picture. We also should negotiate for the tools we need to become a satisfied person over time. Negotiation can be called as a way of resolving disputes. It is considered similar to settlement. It takes place almost in all spheres of life and most importantly in business.

Business negotiations requires a lot of research work, such as the need of negotiation, people involved, their approaches and aims, what is expected from negotiation and much more.  Negotiation involves a minimum of two parties who understand its aim. The parties are willing to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome which is acceptable to both parties. It usually results in a compromise where each party makes a concession for the benefit of everyone involved.

Negotiations occur frequently within the workplace and may occur between colleagues, departments or between an employee and employer. It is essential to understand the types of negotiations you might face and improve your negotiation skills.

Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills allow different parties to reach a settlement. These are often soft skills and include communication, making plans and strategies and cooperating. The skills needed depend on your environment, your planned outcome and the parties involved. Mentioned below are a few key negotiation skills that apply to many situations:

• Communication –

Essential communication skills include identifying nonverbal signs and expressing yourself in a way that is engaging. Active listening skills are also important for understanding the other party. By establishing clear communication, you can avoid quarrels that could prevent you from reaching a compromise.

• Persuasion –

Another important skill for negotiation is the ability to influence others. It can help you define why your proposed solution is beneficial to all parties and encourage others to support your views.

• Planning –

To reach an agreement that benefits both parties, it is important you consider how the consequences will affect everyone in the long-term. Planning skills are essential for the negotiation process.

• Strategizing –

Good negotiators always have a backup plan before any discussion. Consider all possible outcomes and be prepared for each of these situations.

Negotiating is a part of everyday life, but in business it’s critical to your success. Poor negotiation can destroy a company just as quickly as losing major customers. While most negotiating strategies seem like common sense, it’s not uncommon for people to get caught up emotionally and ignore their basic instincts. Destiny, and magic have no place in a successful negotiation. It takes lots of courage, homework, being business smart and much discipline. These will help you get the best deal possible under any circumstances.

Negotiation Skills Training

Everything is negotiable if done. Be it some trivial workplace issue or a big business contract, negotiations are a part of everyday life. The Negotiation Skills Program helps you understand why some agreements fail to sustain while others do. Learn how to identify, create, and build win-win agreements through a step-by-step approach in a fun filled workshop.

With the ever-increasing crunch of the resources the market negotiations are the trump card which guides us through ways to get the best deal. It helps not only to drive to the desired results but also to avoid unnecessary disputes by effectively steering through the deals. Negotiation Skills Training has become the need of the time. It helps us to reach the goal in both formal and informal negotiations and to build mutual trust to convey the best deal for the client. Negotiations are not about compromising on your needs but to meet them in middle through encompassing various negotiation techniques.

Is negotiation a positive trait? Or does it display demanding spirit? Of course not! Each one of us negotiate in our social, professional, and business lives. Whether we realize it or not we face situations that demand negotiation. Negotiation is an important skill that needs to be appropriately used. Some may consider themselves as born negotiators. However, how our negotiation skills impact business, professional or even personal relationships do matter. Inability to negotiate well may either result in loss or affect business/professional relationships.

In this Negotiation Skills Training you will be exposed to some of the process, strategies, and methodologies of negotiations. You will be trained as how you can arrive at win-win situations by positively affecting the business and professional relationships. This program is designed to meet both organizational and individual needs with required tactics and supportive tools for negotiation that can improve individual and business performance, yield results and profitability.

Objectives for Negotiation Skills Training

• Arm the participants to establish sustainable agreements in everyday work life by successfully creating win -win situations.
• Enhance both internal and external customer service performance.
• Build sustainable relationships with partners, colleagues and vendors to deliver astounding business results.
• Understand and apply need versus wants and interests versus positions
• Analysing and understanding the effect of different personality styles on negotiation and further moulding to different personality styles to get the best result.
• Understanding the process and different stages of negotiation.

Training Outline

• An Overview – Negotiations
• Competencies and qualities required for effective negotiation
• The importance of competent negotiation
• Stages in negotiation
• Negotiation strategies
• Role of communication (verbal and non-verbal) on negotiation
• Setting your objectives and planning for negotiation
• How to recognize bargaining styles- adversarial and cooperative
• Deadlocks, standstills and concessions
• Closing and sustaining agreements
• Handling opposition
• Analysing the problem areas
• Action Plan

This program outline is available for 1- and 2-day sessions and is customizable to client’s need. It encompasses experiential learning using a blend of both information and graphics along with online pre-work, engaging facilitation, case-study sessions, discussions, and online follow-up to create a personalized learning experience.

Connection with Business Development

In the simplest terms, business development can be defined as the process or flow of activities undertaken by the organization to prosper in the future. The entire process of business development consists of measuring steps like increasing revenues, growth in terms of business expansion, increasing profitability by building strategic partnerships, and making strategic business decisions.  This will in turn bring out the effectiveness of the business function. To define the term is quite a challenging one as there are overlapping concepts. The term is often interchangeably used with sales.

Business development is the bigger scope, sales is like a subset of the same where companies push their products towards the customers. The latter is a process where employees build and maintain relationships with potential customers, learn about their buying behaviors, increases brand awareness, and seek opportunities for increase growth. Business development happens when qualification of potential needs to be conducted, a famous acronym named, BANT is used where ‘B’ is budget, ‘A’ is authority, ‘N’ is need and ‘T’ is time. Business development also reach out to newer markets by researching well about the competition, proactively going after accounts.

According to Forbes, business development can be defined as the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships. It ultimately boils down to the value that the customers are getting out of the proposition. This value needs to be long lasting and this needs to be marketed in the right sense by the business development executives. Meanwhile they are also required to devise a plan to market and position the product in the minds of the consumers.

Here is an overview of skills that all business development executives must possess-

1. Communication skills– They are the face of the company and are often asked to present the capabilities of the organization to all stakeholders
2. Negotiation Skills – This involves being tactful and diplomatic at times. Negotiation is quite an art and requires good persuasion skills. It is not always meant to be on the winning side
3. Project Management Skills – They are the folks responsible for the cashflows into any organization. They should be able to calculate risk and set strict goals and adhere to them. They should also be capable of managing risks and devising strategies that can be used to mitigate the same
4. Research Skills – In order to be proactive, they are required to possess strong research skills that can be used to identify potential competition. This skill when applied can be used to determine the level of competition in the existing marketspace
5. Ability to work under pressure – This is one common characteristic that is expected by all business development folks to have.

Business development is a function that consists of tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and between organizations. It is a culmination of the fields of business, commerce, and organizational theory. It needs to ultimately boil down to creating business value for all development is the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships. Business development can be taken to mean any activity by either a small or large organization, non-profit or for-profit enterprise which serves the purpose of ‘developing’ the business in some way.

Sales & Procurement

Over time, the standardization of sales strategies and strategic sourcing across industries has rendered strategies redundant and less effective. All parties, whether in sales or procurement, are using the same tools and strategies in these cases. This has resulted in the need for new strategies and negotiation training programs for the sales and procurement teams. In order for this new set of strategies to be successful, they must be innovative and provide any organization that undergoes the training with a competitive advantage.

Training in negotiation skills can be provided for sales and procurement teams after establishing a negotiation strategy and evaluating the organization’s needs. The tools and techniques to be transferred can be effectively conveyed by using case studies from within the department. By doing so, trainees would be able to relate to the specific situations, absorb the new methods quickly, and have no inhibitions in applying what they have learned during the training to their real-life situations.

Negotiation training begins with the members understanding their own negotiation style and preferences. As a result, the new strategies being introduced to the individuals can be incorporated upon a solid foundation. In order to achieve the next level, the sales team must possess an understanding of strategic sourcing and other approaches, or tactics buyers use; the procurement team must be well versed in countering the negotiation skills used by sellers in accordance with how the organization operates. Through practical simulations, the third level involves the transfer of new negotiation skills and strategies.

It is possible to base these practical simulations on actual case scenarios that employees have encountered while performing their duties within the organization. During the fourth level, trainees are presented with case scenarios that range from simple cases they have previously encountered to complex situations in which outdated strategies will not be effective and will require them to utilize the new strategies they have learned in this training session.

For training sessions targeted at sales and procurement executives, managers of the respective teams may also be included in the last level, where a personal development plan for everyone can be developed in collaboration with their managers. As a result, the competencies gained during the session are carried over to the organization and both executives and managers feel ownership of the progress made.

Within a few weeks of the training program’s completion, the impact of negotiation training can be measured. In most cases, the return on investment (ROI) is ten times or greater than the cost of the training program. After completing the training, the effects of the program can be observed for a period of six months to one year. Since negotiation skills are a core competency of the sales and procurement teams, and they have been proven to be effective, a training on the topic would increase efficiency, growth, and profits.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Training programs on conflict management are always in great demand because conflicts are an integral part of any human interaction, and any workplace is rife with them. People go to great lengths to avoid conflicts, but experience tells us that it hardly ever works. So, what is needed is to understand conflict and manage it effectively so that conflict can work in our favor. But managing conflict effectively does not come naturally to us so we need a training program on conflict management that will enable us to deal with conflicts in an effective manner.

Training on Emotional Intelligence and negotiation skills are inherent parts of any conflict management training program.

We must remember that conflict is not bad, if managed in the right way, conflict can be quite productive.

First, it is important to understand the meaning of conflict.  Conflict is nothing more than a disagreement – where people have different and sometimes opposing views. In this sense, conflict is good, because management theories tell us that “group-think” can be dangerous, in fact for innovation different views are important.

Then why is it that people shy away from conflict? The reason is simple – we don’t know how to handle conflict effectively and due to this a conversation, that just starts with differing opinions very quickly turns into an emotional argument with the actual point of valuable discussion taking a backseat. This means that we need to learn how to manage conflicts effectively and training programs designed specifically to enable people in the workplace to manage conflicts effectively is the answer.

So, what should an effective training on conflict management include? Here are some key elements:

• Understanding Conflict and Its Importance – This first aspect a good training program on conflict management needs to cover is the meaning of conflict. Defining conflict in the right way is important since generally people assume that conflict is bad, and we must avoid it. However, if managed right, conflict can bring us innovative ideas, help us understand different views and look at things from different perspectives. These are also the reasons why conflict is important. Unless people understand these aspects of conflict, it will be difficult to manage conflict effectively and make it productive.
• Tools and Techniques – Any training program on conflict management should introduce tools and techniques to participants that will enable them to manage conflict productively. These tools and techniques should include aspects of:
  • communication during conflict,
  • managing emotions during conflict,
  • conflict resolution techniques like compromising, competing, accommodating
• Self-Awareness – This is a crucial aspect of learning how to manage conflict effectively, unfortunately, most training programs on conflict management to not delve into self-awareness. It is important for employees to know their own reaction to conflict, what behaviors they exhibit during conflict – both productive and unproductive, what is their personal preference in managing conflict or conflict management style and what they need to change personally to make conflict productive.
• Role in Conflict Management – This is another interesting and important aspect of conflict management training. It is important for an employee to recognize their role in conflict so that they can respond appropriately to the conflict situation. For example, as a party to the conflict there are certain set of actions that one must take to make conflict productive, similarly as a mediator to a conflict situation it is important to identify your role and respond appropriately.
• Negotiation Skills – Negotiation is an integral part of any conflict situation. Any training on conflict management must also train the participants on how to negotiate effectively when a conflict situation arises.
• Assertiveness – Of all the behavioral skills that contribute to making conflict either productive or unproductive, assertiveness is perhaps the most critical. While any training on conflict management must cover various behavioral aspects of conflict, assertiveness is one that cannot be missed. There is a thin line between assertiveness and aggression and the training must highlight the difference and how to ensure one does not cross the line.

So, when you are looking for a training program on conflict management, ensure that its covers these crucial aspects.

Virtual Negotiations

The impact of this pandemic has been felt in many areas, including negotiation. The importance of acing negotiations in today’s business climate cannot be overstated. In spite of our master negotiators’ preference for face-to-face interactions, the current situation demands that the human side of negotiation encounters remain intact.

1. Plan and prepare together beyond the agenda. Before logging on to the platform, it is essential to reach a mutual consensus regarding the negotiation process. In addition to saving time, it also helps build rapport – you are, after all, respecting the other party’s input and time.
2. You have more control if you start it right.Don’t make the opening offer as soon as you have logged in. Take a moment to greet, set the context, and then begin.
3. The manner in which you communicate is more important than the content.When communicating in a virtual environment where no obligation is required, remember to address the person by name and provide a more detailed explanation of your reasoning. Don’t simply say, “I disagree with you here”. The best approach would be to say, “I choose to disagree with the viewpoint that …”.
4. Breaks and reflection time are helpful.Remember to take breaks, especially when you feel you are in a power-down position or tension is rising in the virtual room. It is impossible to make matters worse through non-verbal communication. Before restarting the conversation, it is advisable to take some time off.
5. Please do not become engrossed in your glory and forget the humanity on the other side.The decision should be summarized and documented. It is also important to keep in mind that your “excess” happiness after winning the deal may not be well received by the other party. Be respectful of the space and emotions. Don’t ruin the relationship you have built with the other party by ending on a less-than-happy note.

This is a list of five tips that have proven helpful to my team and me when negotiating over virtual platforms. Do you have any mantras that you use? If you have any comments, please let us know.

Training for Sales Team

Sales teams are said to be the stars of any organization, after all they are the ones bringing in the revenue! Training the sales teams to be at their best and perform at the highest level of productivity has always been a critical business agenda. Major portions of training budgets are allocated to the sales teams because the salespeople must be at the top of their game! This means that sales training should be designed with utmost care and thought to get the desired results. Here are some of the training materials that every sales training must have to ensure that the salespeople have the required skills to succeed. Sales training must include training on negotiation skills.

Traditionally, sales trainings have always primarily focused on products and services that need to be sold. While this is still a critical element since you need to know what you have to sell, however, in this article we will explore other training topics and material that are critical for sales success.

1. Negotiation Skills – One of the most critical skills for every salesperson to have is negotiation skills. Salespeople are involved in negotiations for a major part, right from negotiating product/ services features, to timelines to prices – negotiations are a critical aspect of any sales endeavor. However, many a times, this is one critical skill missing in salespeople. A sales training must include a session on negotiation skills, listening, building rapport, creating win-win agreements and negotiation techniques like BATNA, ZOPA, trade-ables. Negotiation Skills training should also contain aspects of Objection Handling, having the right strategy to overcome customer objections is critical to success.
2. Influencing Skills – The other most critical skill for any salesperson to have are Influencing Skills. Salespeople do not have status or hierarchical power to convince their customers to buy, so what they need are skills to influence the decisions of their customers. Customers today are spoilt for choice, anything that you have to offer there is a competitor offering it! So, what makes the difference is the ability of the salesperson to build rapport with the customer, understand their needs and pitch the benefits of their product matching the customer needs. The training should cover various influencing techniques like social proof, reciprocity and scarcity.
3. Question & Listening Skills – Effective negotiations and influencing can only happen if salespeople know the art of effective questioning and listening. One of the errors that happens when a salesperson in engages in customer conversations is that the focus is on selling what you have rather than trying to a customer need with your product/ service. This technique results in disengaged customers. Salespeople first must focus their energy on understanding their client requirements by asking the right questions and practicing active listening, only then will they be able to meet the needs of the customers with the features of their products/ services.
4. Behavioral Skills – This is a relatively new area of focus for sales training, but nonetheless a very critical one. Every customer is different, with a unique personality and behavioral preferences. One cannot sell effectively if we do not consider this difference that is inherent in people. A salesperson should be able to gauge the behavioral preference of their customer and craft a sales-pitch that meets their behavioral preferences. For example, you may have customers that are very task focused, do not like to build personal rapport but want to close the sales deal as soon as possible. So, the traditional approach to rapport-building by getting to know the customer personally may not work, in fact it may backfire! It is therefore important to understand the personality and behavioral traits of customers and flex your style to sell.

While, there are a whole lot of other skills that salespeople should have, but these are the critical must haves. Another aspect to consider is going for a customized training solution rather than off-the-shelf is always more fruitful, since no two organizations are the same, sales training must also consider the organizational context to be effective.

Learn the Art of Negotiation at Work

Over the past few years, negotiation skills have become one of the most in-demand skills for employees. When we are competing in a competitive market, tactful negotiations can assist us in obtaining a favourable outcome. An agreement is reached through negotiation when two or more parties come together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. As a result of the fact that neither of the parties will be able to achieve everything they desire, negotiations are necessary. Since concessions are inevitable, each party in the negotiation should adopt an attitude that they should get the most ideal deal in a manner that is acceptable to the other. It is important for good negotiators to understand the importance of this balance.

By mastering the art of negotiating, one can contribute to business development and growth by:

• building better connections and relationships
• delivering quality solutions which is a win-win for both the parties
• avoiding future conflicts and arguments that may damage long-term relationships

It is essential to understand the inclinations and strategies of the other party when negotiating. In order to achieve the best outcome, it is important to select a strategy that takes into account the other party’s interests and needs. You should develop a negotiation strategy based on your relationship with the person with whom you are dealing.

Active listening is one of the most powerful skills in the art of negotiation. It helps to understand the interests and need of the other party, frame our questions and responses, and make better arguments during negotiation. A successful negotiation does not rely on feelings or luck. Practice is the key to mastering this art.

Tips to Master the Art of Negotiating

• To conduct a successful negotiation, preparation is the first and most important step. In order to craft arguments based on the needs and weaknesses of the other party, you should have a thorough understanding of the other party well in advance of negotiations. The preparation process will require the development of strategies and the creation of workarounds or alternative plans.
• You may not always be able to negotiate a successful outcome even with the best plan. If negotiations fail, you should have a backup plan. By planning ahead for alternative solutions, you can avoid unnecessary pressure and poor business results.
• To achieve better results, it is important to change the way you think about negotiations. To achieve the desired results, it is imperative that the professional negotiator understands the reasons for individual behavior and is able to communicate effectively with a wide range of behavioural styles.
• Throughout the negotiation process, try to determine what you consider an acceptable outcome for the other party. The importance of understanding the opposite side’s needs is like that of understanding your own, so try to imagine what you would do in their shoes and present a solution that is beneficial to both sides. This will also assist in determining whether a face-saving formula is necessary. You’ll never get what you don’t ask for so be courageous in asking questions. Asking the right questions will help elicit more response from the other person which will further help to define the arguments and solutions better
• Handling opposition in a right way by learning to deal with resistances and to make a team or other party agree to a common point is very important. The solution to this problem is to spend more time to effectively analyse the current problem areas. Preparation should include thinking about what could be the possible reasons of opposing to the solution and creating a counterargument for the same.
• Although we are talking about arguments, one must strive to bring honesty and decency in their conversations so that relationships are not damaged because of negotiation.
• Lastly, developing a plan of action in advance of the actual negotiation gives the negotiator more confidence. Having a plan can likewise prompt better and progressively reliable outcomes for oneself and for the business. Also, ending the negotiation with discussion around the next action steps and follow ups is a good strategy to keep control of the situation.

The art of negotiating doesn’t come naturally to anyone. It comes with experience and practice. One must just be mindful of the tips provided above to start the basic practice and then further build on developing more advanced negotiation skills.

THE SKILLS OF NEGOTIATION IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

The essence of business and management is communication. The term business communication refers to the sharing of knowledge between people within and outside a business organization for the purpose of advancing the company’s interests. It may also be described as the dissemination of information within an organization by its employees. In business communication, two or more parties communicate about business matters.

According to Brennan, “Business communication is the expression, channeling, receiving and interchanging of ideas in commerce and industry.” In the opinion of W.H. “Business communication is the exchange of information, ideas, and news among related parties in connection with the business.” Negotiation is one of several aspects that play an important role in this exchange of views and ideas. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of negotiation skills in business communication.

Importance of negotiation as a part of business communication

In negotiation, everyone’s needs and interests are considered so that no party loses out. In business communications, it is very important to avoid conflicts and find a solution that is acceptable to all parties. Effective negotiation is very important for the success of your business, as well as building better relationships. The goal of any negotiation should be to reach an agreement that benefits both parties.

When you negotiate, you are giving and taking concessions, which may mean little to you, but may mean a great deal to the other party. An effective negotiation results in both parties being satisfied and willing to do business with each other in the future. Good negotiation skills are highly valued in today’s competitive market. It is possible to develop skills for negotiation in business communication through practice and various strategies for those who lack these abilities.

A negotiation strategy refers to a set of skills used by negotiators to gain an advantage. An effective negotiator strives to reach a successful outcome that benefits both parties. People will be attracted to you because of your ability to negotiate. To effectively communicate in business, it is essential that you learn how to negotiate and improve your skills. Success in business and in life depends on the ability to negotiate effectively.

In order to obtain what one wants; a negotiator must use effective business communication and interpersonal skills. Learning how to negotiate with your response is another strategy for improving business communication skills. Practice is the key to improving your negotiation skills in business communication. Learn how to negotiate and become skilled by taking advantage of every opportunity. In essence, negotiation is just a game, and you must keep playing and applying strategies until you are able to win every time.

Related Skills

Negotiation skills are useful to businesses to resolve any differences that arise between different people in a business setting. All workers rely on their communication skills so that the negotiations go smoothly and hence they need to adopt certain skills for a successful negotiation. Negotiation skills are very important in business and is one of the key skills assessed when recruiting employees and thus negotiation skills are a desirable asset for job candidates. Effective negotiation requires a collection of communication and interpersonal skills to get a desired result. Mentioned below are some of skills required to negotiate in business communication –

• Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills involve proficiency in managing relationships and the ability to interact well with others. A person with interpersonal skills is effective in leading change, has good communication skills and can resolve conflicts through cooperation and negotiation.

• Active Listening

Active listening is another negotiation skill in business communication. An active listener will not react impulsively in a conflicting situation, but rather will listen actively as to what everybody has to say, try to identify underlying causes and then come to a conclusion.

• Emotional Control

Emotional control refers to the ability to control, redirect disruptive moods and emotions and express them appropriately. Emotional control depends on an individual’s ability to exercise restraint and control impulses during emotional expression, which is an important factor in business communication.

• Collaboration and teamwork

Collaboration and the ability to carry out effective teamwork is an important negotiation skill in business communication. The ability to take decisions or carry out a discussion in a participative manner, considering and giving value to views and opinions of everyone involved is a great asset for effective negotiation.

• Empathy

Empathy or the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences as if they were one’s own, is another negotiation skill. It is the proficiency of understanding the emotional state of mind of others and dealing accordingly. People high on empathy are self disciplined, competitive and initiative. They are resourceful and determined.

• Patience

Patience is another negotiation skill which is very important in business communication. A person who possesses patience is able to respond rather than react and is not impulsive in taking decisions. Communication is effective when both persons or groups communicate patiently and can carry out a peaceful conversation.

• Confidence

Confidence in one’s own beliefs and opinions is important in negotiation in business communication. While negotiating, an individual must put forth one’s views with complete confidence and assertiveness and reach an agreement or conclusion which is beneficial to all.

The ability to attract deals requires skills, knowledge and awareness. Negotiating effectively is accepting the situations you are faced with. When it comes to negotiation, most of us are not very good at estimating our abilities. If you are a good negotiator, you can increase your business dealings and make it a successful endeavor. Negotiation skills in business communication are important as these are some of the major skills that are assessed today before recruiting employees. Some people already possess such skills while others can continually practice developing these skills for effective communication and performance.

Training Material on Negotiation Skills

There is plethora of training materials available on negotiation skills for free. However, their authenticity is not confirmed. Training materials are the core part of any training program – if they are not compelling and resourceful, the training is likely to lose its effectiveness.

A well-structured training material provides written training content which enables new hires with insightful information and enables departmental functions in the absence of key employees. It also aids in workplace orientation and new employee training.

Negotiation is all about discussion among individuals to find the best alternative which takes each parties’ interests. By negotiating right, individuals save in monetary terms and contractual terms. Negotiation skills is the need of the hour as it helps organization in multiple ways, some of them are as follows:

• Negotiation starts right at hiring the employees. It is essential for individuals responsible for hiring employees to negotiate right so as to keep both the company and the new hire profitable
• Negotiation skills is important for those who deals with external vendors as even a small saving from one deal saves millions for the company
• Negotiation also happens between managers and team members with regards to the deadline, projects, leaves etc.

Therefore, while looking for training on negotiation skills, it is important to check the authenticity of the materials as negotiation skills is an important training to be imparted in any organization. There is also an alternative to buying training materials, that is, creating on your own, though many organizations opt buying as it helps in saving time, cost and effort.

Here are some pointers to always look for while creating or buying any training material:

• Learning Objective: The start of any training material should be with a learning objective that will impart knowledge by informing, develop skills by showing ways to apply that information or change attitudes by being persuasive. These learning objectives should be well defined and are important as they structure the entire content of the same
• Table of Content: After a compelling learning objective, the next step is to describe what all needs to be developed. This can be done either by making a list or mind mapping. The objective here is to create a comprehensive content and brainstorming helps in great ways
• Structuring: Once the table of content is made either by mind-mapping or by creating list, it is now important look if the content/information is following a particular sequence. There are multiple types of sequence which can be used like psychological sequencing, chronological sequencing, reverse chronological sequencing, job task or functional sequencing, cause-to-effect sequencing, familiar to unfamiliar sequencing etc. Irrespective of the type of sequencing one chose, it is important to keep the learner in mind and their style of learning as it then makes easier for them to learn
• Activities: It is important to have some activities in the material to engage the learners well and to also add the element of fun in the training program. These activities can be both indoor and outdoor

Hence, it is important to check these elements while investing in training materials. Strengthscape, as an organization, offers a wide range of training materials from business communication skills to negotiation skills. You can reach out to them at [email protected] or +91 9740001600 to know more.

Skills to Apply

Negotiation is a method of resolving differences between parties. As a result of this method, adjustments or compromises can be reached while avoiding arguments or conflicts. In both business and personal life, negotiation entails the settlement of differences through mutual give and take. It is important to note that negotiation skills are not always inborn but can be acquired through learning and can prove very useful in resolving any difference between you and others. In essence, negotiation is the process of resolving disagreements by avoiding conflicts and reaching a mutually acceptable outcome. In this article, we will discuss the skills and related steps in negotiations.

Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills are skills that help an individual negotiate effectively or reach to an agreement in conflicting situations. The various skills that could be applied in the process of negotiations are:

• Analyzing a problem

Effective negotiators must have the skill to analyze a problem considering the interest of each party. Identifying the problems of both sides can help finding a solution.

• Getting ready

Before entering a situation that requires negotiating, a skilled negotiator plan for it beforehand. He studies about the relationship between the two parties, their past negotiations to find areas of agreement as past outcomes can help in current negotiations.

• Give attention

Negotiators have the skill to listen attentively to the other party during the discussion. This involves verbal communication and reading body language. Active listening is very important to find areas of compromise.

• Controlling emotions

It is extremely important for a negotiator to keep his emotions in control during a negotiation, otherwise it can lead to emotional outbursts and jeopardize relations.

• Effective communication

Negotiators must have the ability to communicate clearly during the negotiation or else it can lead to misunderstandings. A skilled negotiator must be able to state his reasoning and the desired outcome.

• Teamwork

Effective negotiators must have the skill to work together as a team in collaboration with each other to reach an acceptable solution.

• Social skills

Effective negotiators have strong social skills to maintain a good relationship with all those who are involved in the negotiation. This helps in maintaining a positive atmosphere during a negotiation.

5 Most Effective Training Programs for Corporates

Organizations investing in training programs are focused in improving the skills of their employees which leads to overall growth and productivity of the organization. Effective training makes employees adaptable, efficient and open minded, thus creating a more functioning environment. A thorough need analysis leads to the planning of an effective training program that is targeted at certain competencies; it is essential that training is carried in the right learning atmosphere.

Every organization has their own set of training programs which would aid their employees to work better and optimize themselves. The five most effective training programs for corporate are discussed here.

1. Business Communication

One of the most important training programs for any organization is Communication. Communication is an integral part of any organization. Employees are required to communicate within themselves or their higher official regarding various aspects. Lack of communication causes disruption in the whole process. A proper communication channel and skill is essential for better functioning. With rapid growth in technology communication is mostly through mails. So be it face to face or virtual communication having appropriate skills is mandatory for both personal betterment and organizational growth. One should understand others verbal and nonverbal messages optimally and respond in a proper way. Communication skills training would help employees to communicate better. These trainings can be carried out for executives across levels with varied outcomes and facilitation techniques.

2. Interpersonal Skills Training

Interpersonal skill training is important as employees have to co-exist and work with other people. Due to the global nature of teams and high inter-dependency in workplaces, this training makes it to the top five most important training programs for corporates. In corporate though employees have individual tasks most of it is interconnected to their teams and thus require maintaining a smooth relationship with others for normal functioning. This would enable them to maintain a positive relationship with others, reduce conflicts or to resolve them in a better way, and to build mutual trust. So, interpersonal skills training enable them to develop these skills and make them work in a much efficient way.

3. First Time Manager Training

The transition from an individual contributor to a manger is a significant one. Managers or team leaders are not only expected to carry out their tasks effectively but to be able to extract work from others tactfully. With the right training on could gain skills like accountability, ownership, integrity, responsibility self-motivation, self-belief, leadership values, emotional intelligence and personal productivity. This helps employees develop their own abilities and to view from perspective of a manager. People management skills, performance management skills, different leadership styles, feedback skills, trust building, influencing skills are some skills that enable managers or leaders to aspire and take forward their teams. Skills like visioning & missioning, strategic decision making, process and systems management, productivity for profits management and innovation skills aids leaders to contribute the organizational growth and tremendous increase in productivity.

4. Time Management

Time management is planning tasks and distributing them within stipulated time. Time is a very essential resource. Missing out on proper time management leads to piling up of work, stress, poor quality work, inability meet deadlines, etc. It is to be ensured that the tasks are correctly analysed and neatly organized so that work is completed on time. Time management training would enable employees to better prioritize work, be more productive, to remain focused on tasks, and to get organized. This would help them be punctual and create a positive image about themselves in front of the organization. It would also help in faster completion of tasks thus contributing to better organizational productivity. With increased pressure for productivity and multitasking, time management is definitely one of the most important and effective trainings required by corporates.

5. Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills are required for a smooth and effective functioning of the organization. The techniques surrounding management functions can never be considered as complete with the employees across various levels of a corporate are able to negotiate effectively. For better negotiation an employee needs to exchange information, bargain appropriately, commit and close the deal. So with an effective negotiation skills training one would be able to develop and improve those skills. Negotiation skills try to bring balance to objectives and relationships from every interaction.