How to Be a Good Negotiator

Negotiation is an existing and permanent part of being in business. Negotiating is an acquired skill but sometimes its natural, but is very important part of your role as an entrepreneur. Find out what you need to know and learn in order to be able to negotiate successfully for any business trade or deal.

As a business owner, negotiations with other businessmen are inevitable. You may find yourself wanting to establish a corporate partnership with another business.

You may have to negotiate with another businessman in order to sell your business. At the onset of your
enterprise, you may have to negotiate with venture capitalists and other investors for your capital. The possible reasons for having to enter into a business negotiation are infinite.

Whatever the reason, if you’re starting a business, you need to learn the skills of a good negotiator together with learning the basics of running a business. Fortunately for you, they are easily identified and can be learned quickly with time and practice.

First, a good negotiator is a good listener. When you’re negotiating with your potential partner or investor, it is best to let the other side talk first. Let them finish laying out their issues or their concerns about investing in your business, so you can compose an answer along the way. Remember, butting in while the other party is still talking can result to a debate not a negotiation.

Another quality of a good business negotiator is realism. When putting forth your sales pitch, be realistic about your figures. Weigh the realism of your proposition by having data to backup your claim as you make the pitch. Of course, if you think the deal will not work out despite your best efforts to close it, then you should have the realism to back out quietly and not get discouraged. Remember, there are a plethora of choices when it comes to potential partners and one failed negotiation is not good reason enough to lose the nerve.

Being realistic would mean that you should be willing to accept a compromise. Most of the times when negotiating, interested parties would want to negotiate for a lower price. Listen to their reasoning and their backing claims; they might be able to offer a better deal despite the lowered value they are asking for.

Last and the most important, you should always be prepared when heading over to the negotiating table. This means that you should prepare all the data and the documents that you need in order to present an organized and informed sales pitch in front of your potential buyers or partners. Never come to a meeting unprepared; you might get a question that you cannot answer and with that alone you’ve blown the deal before it was even approached.