Leading Negotiations: Negotiate like your life matters

Baby years.. when we are trying to eat what we like the most and we bounce back with crying every time we do not like something. It's like negotiating with our parents about what we want and what we do not. It's in our blood.
Negotiation is not merely a tool for conflict resolution but a critical competency that influences various aspects of life, from day to day happiness to forging strategic alliances and driving organisational change at work.

The ability to negotiate successfully also reflects a leader's strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and capacity to influence others—traits that are essential for steering their organisations through uncertainty and change.
Take under consideration, some world percentages below:

58 percent of young professionals do not negotiate their job offers.

However,

87 percent of those who do negotiate receive additional compensation.

Even more,

Organisations with leaders who excel in negotiation and conflict resolution see a 22% higher employee retention rate

It is more than obvious, that, besides negotiating is instilled in our day to day, we tend to feel uncomfortable when it comes to it, as also, we have created a rational connection of negotiations with conflict causing. Two completely different topics that are just overlapped in some certain extends.

Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
Do you feel that you lose most of your conflicts?
Or, do you believe that you do not get as much as you would like dealing with conflicts?
Then..
Learn more about Conflict resolution, from our experts, reading our article about:
The 5 Conflict-Winning Strategies from the CEO playbook.

Negotiation Practices & Rules to use instantly tomorrow on!

When it comes to best in class negotiators, nothing is driven by luck or set up by accident. Top-tier professionals and global leaders, even, lawyers and marketeers or salesmen are trained and learning practices to elevate their results. Here, is how..
2 practices to add in your quiver, plus a rule to follow every time you feel in deep water negotiating, plus the golden foundation rules of negotiation world.

2 PRACTICES FOR LIFE: BATNA AND ZOPA

BATNA

BATNA is an acronym, standing for:
Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement

Highlights the importance of knowing the possible alternatives you have on your hands to negotiate with the other part. Either, in a case that your primary goal will come up short, due to unexpected reasons, or, generally speaking when we lose a battle.. that will happen, too, let's be honest.
Knowing your alternatives is mainly the best negotiation practice you will implement, as rarely we end up getting exactly what we aim for. Most of the times, we aim leaving the table with the closest possible alternative to our main goal, sacrificing as least possible as we could, leveraging our benefits.
The mindset behind negotiations is not winning all times, but building a winning strategy, with so many alternatives, creating assets on our side to negotiate for, ending up sacrificing the least significant ones for us (that are having the biggest significance for our negotiator partner) to gain the most desirable assets for us from the other part.
That is why BATNA is considered the foundation of every negotiator master!

ZORA

ΖΟPA, another acronym used in negotiations, standing for:
Zone Of Possible Agreement.

More specifically, a bargaining range in an area where two or more negotiating parties may find common ground.
Actually, we should use ZOPA for every point of our negotiation plan, for example, setting up your strategy should incorporate: ZOPA for budget, ZOPA for sale pricing, ZOPA for time delivery, ZOPA for the number of features delivered, and the list goes on.
So, tips for successful ZOPA limit set up:

• identify the most beneficial deal for your end, that's your upper range limit.
• identify the least beneficial deal for your end, that'w your lowest range limit.
• Spot the median deal somewhere at the middle of the most and least beneficial, that's your sweet spot. Every deal around it, should be considered a negotiation win. Do not get me wrong, winning a deal is not crashing your opponents, but sacrificing low to mid valued assets of your side and gaining assets with high value on your end.

Further, criticality matters, too.
For example, in case a deal, is an ultimate goal for your strategy success, lowering your lowest ZOPA limit, may lose you a battle, but may win you a war, later.

THE 70 - 30 Rule

In many instances it works quite well to say less.
What is the 70 30 rule in negotiation?
Listen for 70 percent of the time and talk only 30 percent of the time.

The more you can listen, the more control you have over the dynamic.

The 4 golden rules of Negotiation

"Gold never gets old."
Pin the below rules in your mind, every time you stand up for a negotiation:

-Never Sell.

-Build Trust.

-Come from a Position of Strength.

-and Know When to Walk Away.

Those ones, will set you up to success faster than you can imagine. Practice is needed of course, but, after a while those rules can become easily your negotiation bible.

Build Your Strategy: Step by Step

Step 1: What are your needs and interests?

Step 2: What’s no1 priority for you?

Step 3: Find out your BATNA.

Step 4: Can I improve it, maybe? Any suggestions?

Step 5: Add other sides to your BATNA alternatives.
Such as, free period of using your product for a 10 days. Or, free delivery cost for the first X number of products.

Step 6: Now, you are ready to determine the ZOPA.

Step 7: The Golden Rules. 

Difference Makers Tips

Step by step strategy building make us feel extremely secure, although reading between the lines is the factor which separates the best ones from the good ones. Keep the below difference makers tips on your notebook, and steal a glance at them, before entering the room.

• Information gathering using PIN (Positions -Interests -Need).
• Always remember to ask What, Why, How.
• Ask "When do you NEED it?". Not "When do you WANT it?"
• Ask the other end to prioritise their needs. That will save a lot of time for you.
• Ask "What does puzzle you?"
• Ask "What have brought you here?"
• In case you do not have the answers needed, ask follow up questions on the topic with different context. Rephrase.
• For information that I cannot know - close multiple contracts/deals. That's a great case to leverage from your sides added in your BATNA.
• Manage expectations, by asking them what they are waiting for, and what done means for them.
• Do you need price elements? Ask for previous deals and collaborations with providers and search historical data in the background to gather further financial elements, that will help you close the best deal possible. 

Conclusion

On your stairway to 1% leadership heaven, negotiation skills are not just essential—they are a game-changer for any leader aspiring to drive their organisation to new heights. Mastering the art of negotiation means you can turn potential conflicts into opportunities for collaboration, and transform ideas into actionable strategies that propel your team forward. Embrace these skills with enthusiasm, and watch as they revolutionise your leadership impact and organisational triumphs! Be UNIQUE.

ARTICLE QUOTE:
"In business, as in life, you do not get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate."