The opportunity in the recession
The opportunity in the recession—
Protocol to make you feel comfortable negotiating for anything
30% off!, limited offer- 75% off!, everything must go! These aren’t just signs on retail stores. These are signs of the time in all businesses. The current economy provides a great opportunity to position your business for future growth. You can negotiate (or re-negotiate) better deals on almost everything right now—equipment, office space, employees, contractors, professional services. Knowing how and when (always!) to negotiate, provides you this opportunity. Below are some “Negotiation Protocols” that should help you feel comfortable negotiating for anything.
Negotiation Protocol
- Greetings; approach negotiations in a friendly manner and discuss common ground
- Share your own interests openly and inquire about the interests of others
- Share your own priorities and understand other’s priorities
- Summarize and clarify; ask questions
- Offer proposal/multiple proposals (it is often good to offer multiple proposals of equal value)
- Allow other to ask questions; give break-time before they counter propose
- Refocus on joint goals and problem solve together
Remember that a successful negotiation is one where both parties walk away satisfied with an agreement. You should never feel “bad” about negotiating if you follow the above protocol.
Tags: Negotiations