Some of us avoid negotiation, some fear negotiation because they equate it with conflict. They consider it as a clash of the wills, they see it as a fight to the finish, where the biggest bully wins all the marbles. To them, negotiation is confrontation, and they hate confrontation.
But in fact, negotiation is anything but confrontation.
Negotiation is there since the inception of the human race. It’s neither Western thought, nor Eastern thought – it’s a process of cooperation that’s common to every country and every culture. The purpose of negotiation is to facilitate trade or exchange – the very essence of cooperation..
Negotiation Behaviours
Negotiation involves these three basic behaviours: persuasion, haggling and trading concessions.
Persuasion is where logic, facts and data are employed to change or influence behaviour. Trading concessions involve multiple elements orchestrated into a complex scenario. Haggling employs a variety of techniques over a short period of time — usually to affect price.
The Golden Rule of Negotiation
Never give anything, without getting something of value in return. Follow this rule in any negotiation – simple or complex, large or small – and you’ll always find a path to success.
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