By Charlie Newman – Guest Blogger
I am here to tell you that by the time you finish reading this blog entry, you will recognize that you are negotiating all day, every day. You are negotiating at work, at home, in your business life and in your personal affairs.
Think about it. At work, in addition to your customers and your suppliers, you are negotiating with your boss, other employees, and with other departments. At home, you negotiate with your spouse and kids. Whether you realize it or not, I assure you that they are negotiating with you constantly. If you do not believe it, think about what takes place when you decide on a restaurant, or a movie? I’ll bet that those of you with pets even negotiate with them. And, my best guess is your pet comes out ahead in most cases.
Look around and observe what is going on around you during the course of a day. You will soon recognize that negotiating is taking place everywhere. Let’s face it negotiating is part of everyday life!
My best guess is that when faced with “formal” negotiations such as negotiating an employment agreement, or the purchase of a home, most people you know are uncomfortable. This probably results from their belief that negotiating is not a natural part of their day-to-day life. In fact, “formal” negotiations are viewed by many people from the perspective that the only possible outcome is that somebody “wins” and the other person “loses,” and as a result tension begins to surface.
One of the most important things I have learned during the past 40+ years of doing “deals” around the world is that to achieve a more satisfactory and sustainable outcome, the focus has to be to “make the pie bigger.” The end result should be that when the pie is cut in half, both parties receive a bigger and a better slice. To achieve this, the focus has to change from a confrontational mind set to one of cooperation.
If you want better results from your next negotiation, keep the following points in mind:
- Negotiation is an art not a science. There are no hard and fast rules or formulas that fit every situation.
- Each “deal” is different even though some similarities will exist between “deals.”
- The key to success is to be creative in getting to a satisfactory outcome.
What appears to be so ominous to many people is something they do not realize is part of their everyday life.
Charlie H. Newman is the author of “Beyond the Chicken Dance” and can help you negotiate your way through life more effectively by understanding that there is more to negotiating then posturing and position.
Special Note: Visit www.beyondthechickendance.com to view Charlie’s entertaining book video trailer produced by authorsbroadcast.com .