What are the communication skills for business negotiations?

Language and its communication methods are the carriers for the two parties to communicate their ideas and ultimately reach an agreement, and should not become an obstacle to negotiations. I have compiled communication skills about business negotiations for everyone, I hope it will be helpful to you.

Communication skills in business negotiations

1. Have negative feelings towards the other party

That is, disbelief, hostility, suspicion, attack, inducement, oppression, anger The hidden feelings lead to the distance between the two parties widening.

2. Cognitive communication barriers

It refers to artificial differences caused by different understandings of the same thing. Such differences will cause the communication object to feel misplaced and depressed, thus It hinders cooperation and exchanges between the two parties.

3. Psychological communication barriers

?Negotiation warfare is psychological warfare?, which refers to the negotiation process. The basic psychological factors for successful communication come directly from the confidence, sincerity and patience of both communicators. If there are psychological barriers during communication, the credibility of both parties will be greatly reduced.

4. Failure to regulate one’s emotions and attitudes

People are governed by their emotions. Once they are rejected during the negotiation process, they will often become dissatisfied or adopt a counterattack attitude, resulting in arguments. . And an attitude that is too weak will lead to the loss of principles and interests. Therefore, before negotiating, you must control your emotions and be neither humble nor overbearing.

5. Communication barriers in business negotiation habits

Due to history, tradition, politics, and religion, the negotiation habits of different countries and merchants are different. It not only affects Negotiators' behavior also affects the way they negotiate, so their negotiating styles can be very different. For example, Americans are bold, confident, fond of competition, and practical; British people pay attention to gentlemanly demeanor, are good at arguing, and do not give up easily; Japanese people pay attention to etiquette, tactful speech, shrewdness, pay attention to the essence and details of problems, are not easy to give in, and emphasize teamwork; Arabs have a strong sense of race and religion, are good at bargaining, respect their opponents, and cherish friendship?

Techniques for changing disadvantages in business negotiations

1. The half-bread principle

Hildo Chill, a union mediator, recently discussed a strike at a major New York City newspaper. He told reporters: "We have solved most of the big problems: the problem is that now some small problems have become big problems." That's the way it is. Once you reach an agreement, the negotiation moves on to another topic. It is sometimes wise to give in on particularly sensitive points. In this way you can take advantage of the favorable climate for agreement between sensitive points of view and achieve overall success in the grand negotiation. Of course, these concessions must be something you can give up and tolerate. The thing is often you can get more nutrients from half a loaf than if you stick to a whole loaf.

2. Be patient

Patience is power, and patience is strength. If you don't have other advantages, then you must be patient or look for impatient opponents. In this way, we also have a defensive bargaining chip. When necessary, we can disrupt the opponent's deployment and strive for victory. In actual negotiations, countless examples have proven that if you feel that the advantages are not obvious or do not exist, don’t forget to use patience.

3. To master more information

It is undeniable that the enterprise has a certain scale and the products have a certain popularity, which are indeed the advantages of the enterprise itself. But if you do not have this advantage, and the other party has such an advantage, one of the ways to change is to collect information extensively and learn more inside stories, which can effectively avoid being passive in negotiations and discover more opportunity. For example, the two parties to the transaction repeatedly negotiated on the price issue, and the other party relied on the first-class quality of the goods and did not provide preferential prices. However, if the purchasing company has a grasp of market conditions and changing trends, such as product prices that may drop, or newer products appearing, then it can put pressure on the company accordingly, take advantage of the seller's eagerness to sell products, and master negotiations. initiative.

4. Protect your own interests and propose the best choice

There are also advantages to using minimum standards. In a sense, it limits the flexible use of negotiation strategies and techniques, because the minimum is a requirement that cannot be easily changed. Only if you are determined to adhere to the prescribed standards will you avoid succumbing to the pressure of the other party. At the same time, it also limits people's imagination at the very least. Negotiators cannot be inspired to think about and propose special alternative solutions. It follows that applying minimum standards is not a foolproof solution. It can avoid accepting an unfavorable agreement, and it can also prevent a favorable proposal from being proposed and accepted.

Then, to avoid the possible adverse consequences of being at a disadvantage in negotiations, a better way is to propose a variety of options based on the actual situation and determine the best option as the standard for reaching an agreement. These plans must at least include: assumptions about the outcome of the negotiation, what are the conditions based on which the other party proposes to us? What are the factors that are not conducive to us? How to overcome them? Under what circumstances should the negotiation be interrupted? What can we achieve? What is the purpose? In what aspects are the best choices made? And so on.

In negotiations, having multiple options for discussing the agreement will greatly enhance your strength and give you room to choose whether to advance or retreat. Sometimes, whether you can reach an agreement in a negotiation depends on the appeal of the best option you present. The more feasible and realistic your best options are, the more likely you are to change the outcome of the negotiation. Because you fully understand and grasp the various pros and cons of reaching an agreement or not reaching an agreement, you will have a better grasp of the initiative in negotiations and the methods to protect your own interests, and you will force the other party to negotiate on the basis of what you want. .

5. Try to make use of your own advantages

The other party has advantages in negotiation, which does not mean that it has advantages in all aspects, because all advantages are in the hands of the other party, and negotiation alone Tips It may be impossible to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties. When there is a large difference in strength between the negotiating parties and our side is at a disadvantage, the preparation before the negotiation should include an analysis of the advantages of both parties, lay out the other side's advantages, and then look at what our advantages are and how to use ours. Party’s advantages. In this way, you will be able to have an idea of ??the relative strength of both sides and the problems that may arise. For example, if we want to purchase a batch of products, the opponent we are negotiating with is a large and powerful company. The products are very competitive, with large production batches, short cycles, and fast delivery. These are its advantages. However, its eagerness to sell products to speed up capital turnover is its shortcoming, and it is also our advantage.

The advantages and disadvantages of both parties in negotiations are not absolute. In the early stages of a negotiation, you may be at a disadvantage based on the relative strengths of both parties. However, as a variety of solutions are proposed, your strength and advantages are increased.

Sometimes, one party’s advantages may be covered up and not obvious, or the other party may not realize the importance of your advantages. Therefore, how to use one's own advantages and attack the other party's shortcomings and weak links during negotiations is also one of the strategic skills that negotiators should master.

In short, to change the disadvantages in negotiations, there are three specific steps that should be taken based on adhering to the above principles:

First, formulate the measures necessary to reach an agreement . If an agreement cannot be reached, is it still possible to negotiate with other companies? If it is based on the other party's conditions, is it more cost-effective to produce it yourself or to purchase it?

Second, improve your best ideas and turn them into practical choices. If you think that reaching an agreement with the other party through negotiation is more beneficial than not reaching an agreement, you should work hard to turn this possibility into reality. The most important thing is to continuously enrich and modify your best plan and plan during the negotiation to make it more realistic. .

Third, while determining the best solution, the actions to be taken if an agreement cannot be reached should also be clarified.

Skills in Business Negotiation

1. During the negotiation process, you should guard against arrogance and impetuosity

To maximize your own interests, you should dare to make bold demands from the other party. conditions, be patient enough to win a protracted war, and maintain a certain attitude consistency.

2. During negotiations, you should pay attention to having a strong sense of competition

You should bravely question the opinions put forward by the other party, and boldly show surprise at the conditions that your own side is satisfied with. Use expressions to force the other party to reflect on their point of view, thus providing the possibility for further requests from the other party.

3. Negotiations should first collect information about the other party

As the saying goes, knowing yourself and the enemy will never lead to defeat. Therefore, avoid knowing nothing about the characteristics of the other party during negotiations, and focus on the consistent personality characteristics of the other party. , conduct detailed analysis of case characteristics, and launch targeted attacks and breakthroughs on the opponent's disadvantages.

IV. Know what you want

One of my clients owns a fast food restaurant. One of the most successful tactics his employees use is to ask customers: "Would you like fried potato chips with your order?" More than 20 percent of customers will answer: "Yes." ?

People often make impulsive buying decisions because they don’t think carefully about whether they really need an item or whether it’s worth buying. To prevent impulse purchases, it's smart to make a list of what you need before you go shopping. If you are going to buy a car or a computer, be sure to list the specifications and models of the products you need on your list, and stick to the plan.

5. Don’t reveal the deadlines of your activities

A businessman I know went to Japan to discuss business with a Japanese electronics company. After he arrived, someone from that company asked him when he would return to the United States. The host said: "We need to know this so we can arrange a car to take you to the airport." ?My friend replied that he was returning on Friday.

In the next five days, the Japanese invited him to travel, held long lunches, and went to see performances--except for the business matters that my friend came to Japan to do, what did the Japanese do? All arranged. Finally, on Friday morning, five hours before his plane was due to depart, negotiations began.

My friend is under intense pressure to make concessions. Only then did he understand the truth. Because the negotiations had been delayed to the last minute, he faced a situation that was extremely disadvantageous to him. He had to break off negotiations and return home.

Don’t divulge deadlines for your campaigns unless it would be to your advantage to do so. If a deadline has been set by someone else, see if you can change it. If you must negotiate within a restricted time period, intentionally ignore and belittle the importance of the time period. Concentrate on the transaction itself.

6. Think carefully before proceeding

In one of the workshops I conducted, a real estate agent told me about a transaction that took her less than 15 minutes. A newlywed couple walks into a house that has just been built and is ready to be sold. The market was depressed at the time, and the broker felt he had to compromise on price and some conditions.

Within 15 minutes of walking into the house, the couple inquired about the selling price. The agent asked for $185,000. She was about to add that buyers always have to bargain when two young men interrupted her, ?Wow!? They replied, ?This is much less than we expected!?< /p>

The agent did not mention lowering the price again. She only made a slight concession and the sale was completed.

Before you speak, be sure to ask your opponent what they are thinking. In most cases, the person who speaks first is impatient, and the information he or she reveals allows you to better formulate your counteroffer. Let someone else take action first. For example, if a buyer has no idea of ??the item's value, the seller can make a profit by offering an ideal price.

7. Understand the market conditions

When I was teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a young man came to me. He will be interviewing for jobs at several high-tech companies in Southern California and the East Coast. I asked him which company he would go to for an interview first, and he replied: "Go to Silicon Valley." ?I asked him why. He said: "Because I prefer living there." ?The young man thought that since he preferred working in Silicon Valley, it was natural to go there for an interview first. ?No,? I told him, ?Go to the East Coast first, learn about the best treatment you can get, and then return to California with that information. ?

I explained to him that if he went to the company he was most interested in for an interview first, he would lose a standard for judging good treatment. By trying to get a promise of good pay from an East Coast company, he would know what salary he could ask for and use that as a yardstick when interviewing with other companies.

Information is a negotiator’s most powerful asset. If you're well-informed, you won't be fooled. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent's trading situation will make you a stronger negotiator.

8. Know when to walk away

For much of the 1980s, Eastern Airlines and the United Machinists were engaged in intense negotiations. Eventually their negotiations broke down, leaving the company bankrupt and employees unemployed.

This kind of breakdown is usually avoidable. Negotiations are usually deadlocked on one issue. If this happens, move on, find as many areas of agreement as you can find, and then return to the contentious issue. The issue can usually be resolved.

However, sometimes a stalemate cannot be broken for a while, and understanding your options will improve your negotiation skills. Imagine you are at a car franchise and ask yourself, if I don't buy this car, what will I choose? The result is: go to another dealer, buy a different model of car, repair it Your old car. Once you figure out better options for yourself, what you thought was the best deal may not be so perfect anymore.

9. Don’t regret anything after the fact

A businessman I know who came for consultation just issued a promissory note for his company at the usual price, and the price on the market rose. A lot. If the businessman had waited a few days before selling, he would have made a lot of extra money for the company.

Is he depressed? No. In fact, when a reporter asked him if he was satisfied with the deal, he said: "Of course, it was a good deal." I might do better, but I might do worse. I don't have to regret anything. ?

The understanding is always clear after the fact. The only question you should be concerned about should be whether you accomplished your original goal. If the answer is yes, look forward and there will be other businesses because life goes on.

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