The Art Of The Deal

Archit Kottapalli

The art of negotiation is one of the greatest life skills you will ever learn. It is something that you learn over time, from practice and experience. The importance of negotiation cannot be stressed enough. Most people simply try to roll over others, even if that person holds power over them or can refuse service. In such cases, more often than not, the aggressor does not get what he wants and ends up blaming the system that put him in contact with the person or the person himself.

In my many experiences negotiating with superiors, I realised that there were some simple things one could do to ensure that they always had the favour of the person at the other end of the table.

Smile

It works. Most people take this for granted and do not try at all, but more often than not, smiling and greeting a person is a sure way of gaining their attention in a positive manner. When you do not smile, you appear as if you are not interested in having the conversation and that anything you get out of it is not valuable to you. Moreover, it can also put the other person in an irritable mood, which, we can presume is not favourable.

Smile, make eye contact and say ‘Hello’, or ‘Good Morning’.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

It is a tactic that can be deployed when you want something but do not know if you are allowed to have it. In simpler terms, the rule can be summarised like this: When in doubt, feign innocence.

Pretending to have no knowledge of the matter can seem like a bad move, but there are some situations where you can use it to gain an advantage:

For starters, pretending to be innocent of the rules allows you to do things that are not allowed. If you are stopped, you can always say that you were not aware that the act was not allowed. Be cautious with this. There are some organizations that do not take lightly to this at all.

Another big advantage of pretending to know nothing is that it boosts the confidence of the person sitting opposite you. This means that he will be more proactive in conversation and tell you more. Additionally, they will start to guide you and help you through certain processes. When in a situation where you are getting some documents processed, for example, do not wave your knowledge of the process in the other person’s face. On the contrary, keep asking questions, and keep asking them if there is more that you should know about.

This is a tactic that cannot be used in direct negotiations, where your gain is the other person’s loss.

Remember, pretend to know nothing and be interested in learning everything.

The Enemy of My Enemy

Remember that at the end of the day, you are negotiating with a human. They too are subject to rules and laws as well as the whims of their seniors and those above them. It is important to respect the position the other person is in. Let them know that you sympathise with their situation.

It is important to strike a balance here. If you let the other person stick to his obligations, chances are, you will not walk out with what you want.

 Respect the other person’s position, but at the same time, push your own agenda.

Know Your People

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, people tend to forget that both people are in some larger way, on the same boat. People you negotiate with are not your enemy. They do not come to the table with the intention of causing you harm. Therefore, do not take offence. Instead, try to get to know the other person better. Bond over something that you share and try to establish a connection. Once the other person is reminded that you are on his side, you will be much more likely to get what you want out of a negotiation.

What are your thoughts on negotiations? Were you ever caught at the wrong end of red tape? Do you have any stories to share? Do let us know in the comments below. If you liked the article, do share it and as always, thank you for reading!