Negotiation =/= Combat

By: A Staff Writer

Updated on: Aug 30, 2024

Negotiation =/= Combat

Many see negotiation as adversarial. The best negotiators focus on collaboration for long-term success.

Getting aggressive or defensive tanks deals and damages relationships you may need later.

• Active listening is key: Understand their true needs/fears to offer solutions, not just counter-offers.
• “No” is just the start: Ask “What would it take to make this a yes?”. Opens up creative solutions.
• Get comfortable with silence: Don’t rush to fill the pauses, let them consider (and potentially sweeten) the offer.
• Trade-offs, not discounts: Can you budge on scope, timeline, etc., while maintaining your core rate?
• Document EVERYTHING: What’s agreed upon in writing prevents “misunderstandings” later.
• Aim for ‘good enough’ not ‘perfect’: Sometimes closing the deal beats squeezing out the absolute maximum.

What non-price terms are you willing to negotiate on to get a deal done?

Next time you negotiate, focus on LISTENING more than talking. See what shifts.