The Art of Negotiation
Concession, compromise, cooperation, settlement, and collaboration are all words to describe the “negotiation” process. Negotiation is not a threat or warning; it is two or more people coming together in order to resolve a dispute or business deal. It is finding a middle ground in order to solidify or conclude with a matter. Negotiations are never forced, or else it ceases to be a negotiation and commence to be a war.
I have learned that in life, everything is negotiable. I mean everything! From buying a house to purchasing a Mc Donald’s Happy Meal, you will find that the game of negotiations exists. If you fail to understand this principle, you may find yourself always swimming at the bottom of a barrel full of dirty water. People will dump you in their filthy container in exchange for your clean and well kept one. In the street vernacular, it would be considered “getting over on someone.” Everyone, at one time or another, have played the part of a fool and I’m certain that you are no different. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” Babies and toddlers soon learn that the way to get Mommy’s attention is to cry and the way to get what you want is to rant. Believe it or not, negotiating is what we unconsciously do as humans. Since humans are natural negotiators how can we develop it to work in our favor?
In order to be a good negotiator, one must be a good listener and reader of gesticulation. Listening is an essential skill for making relationships work. Friendships are deepened as others learn to trust you and you will find that success comes much easier because people think that you hear and understand them. Most marriages are on the brink of divorce because they struggle in truly being able to listen to one another. Business deals go down the tubs because the salesperson was unable to give the client what they were looking for—all due to their lack of training in listening. It can prove to be disastrous to not listen.
So let me help you become a better spouse, salesperson, manager, arbitrator, teacher, parent, minister as you learn these basic truths of negotiation. Every human being that is able to intelligently communicate has developed unconscious listening blockages. If you can identify these disadvantages you will be on your way to becoming a better person.
1. We read minds as we listen.
This listener doesn’t care much about what the person is saying because they are too busy trying to figure out what they are really trying to communicate. Husbands and Wives are masters at this practice. Listening on this level is absolutely insensitive and indifferent. One used car salesman was trying to sell a car to someone looking for a decent used car to drive back and forth to work. The salesman took the gentleman to the back of the car lot and pointed out a vehicle and said, “Now here’s a car that I wouldn’t sell to a bear, but I’ll sell it to you for five hundred dollars.” To say the least, the car salesman offended the young man and he not only lost the sell for the car dealership, but he lost other potential sales because he lacked in the area of listening skills.
2. The Filter Listener
These are people who listens just enough to decide if the rest of what the person is saying is worth listening to. If they can cut down the conversation by hearing key words, they can solve the person’s problem and get on to what they consider weightier matters. People in marketing often hear their clients talk about their product, filtering most of the conversation by viewing the product instead of listening to the inventor or owner of the company. Dollars are wasted, time is loss, and potential clients hang in the balance as the marketing person is constantly sent back to the drawing board. They oftentimes forget that it is the client that must be happy with the sales concept not only the marketing personnel.
Tune in next month as we delve into making negotiations smooth and easy. Write me on your views and let me know how we can be of further service to you. Surf my website and you will find many interesting free items and items that are worth every penny. You will increase your sales, build confidence, and possibly become a millionaire as you listen to my many years of experience in helping people from business to marriage.
Order "How to Get What You Want Out of Life and Business” today and see how these principles will cause your confidence and bank account to soar through the roof. I look forward to seeing you at the top.
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