How to Keep Your Power and Conscience During Business Negotiations

Selling applies to multiple industries, whether it's a simple negotiation, a job interview, or selling a product. There are many ways to play the "game" fairly and still come out ahead.

There are ways to "play the game" with anyone. Remember many mistakes are made when one side feels desperate, and the other senses it and uses their power to manipulate the situation. Even if the other side seems stronger, it's important to avoid making unnecessary concessions. Always know the highest price you would pay, or the lowest you can sell for without harboring a resentment. This relieves any burdens of pressure during the actual negotiation. Go in with a plan on what you would do if you don't sell your product, property, or service within a set amount of time. Remember that by following these steps, in advance, you will probably get above your minimum need.

Sometimes, the other party will not bend their position. If you get too defensive about your viewpoint, or too offensive about the other party's position, things will quickly sour. This can become a real personality problem and should be avoided. The best way to deal with such people is to not react at all and to think of their position as a possible solution. Then scrutinize it carefully, ask questions, and think about how you can work around it without attacking the person. If you are verbally attacked, think of it as against the issue, not you. After asking questions, stay quiet for a moment.

Remember that no matter how great a product or service is, there are circumstances that are out of the client's and salesperson's control. This can include, but certainly is not limited to, issues such as a budget not existing for the service or product. A salesperson's behavior after such information is revealed will ensure that a business relationship can either continue later, or never.

A lot of people react negatively to a sales turndown or general criticism, but it doesn't always have to be bad. The "one-text procedure" simplifies negotiations, by creating preliminary solutions and inviting critique on them. If you have to, bring in a neutral party to mediate. It's important to preface possibly controversial comments with statements like, "Please correct me if I'm wrong" or "We appreciate what you've done for us. This ensures that any problems are kept separate from the people in them. Words such as concern and fairness are also powerful, but not attacking.