Negotiation Techniques: Classic and Modern Communication, How to Increase Efficiency, Tips and Tricks

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Negotiation technique is a separate science studied by many great scientists in the field of economics. To achieve perfection in this matter is almost impossible, there will always be room to grow. Negotiations are one of the most difficult work processes. Difficulty arises most often when the situation at the table resembles a mini-war in which no one wants to retreat and bends his line. Thousands of books have already been written about all kinds of negotiating techniques, but the specialist receives the basic knowledge in practice.

The result of a business meeting depends on your ability to convince and convey your thoughts. You need to be able to sell any product to call yourself a professional. Even the most wonderful thing will be refused to buy if certain conditions are not created. This rule also works in reverse: a trinket, which is competently and confidently presented, will be the most sought-after product. The same can be said about the technique of negotiation.with clients. You can tell about bad news in such a way that the interlocutor will not be upset. Conversely, excellent terms of cooperation will be skeptical.

Communication technique. An unexpected question

There are many techniques for conducting business negotiations, each author has his own vision. In this material, we will try to create a collective image of the most effective methods that will help you conclude profitable contracts on your terms.

An unexpected question becomes indispensable in a situation where the interlocutor is not ready to make a final decision and hesitates between deliberation and resistance. You can draw a parallel with martial arts, when the opponent is not repelled, but rather attracted to oneself. For example, you might ask out of the blue: what goal do you think is incredible? The interlocutor will think about the answer, while already reducing the level of resistance. Then continue to develop the theme of how this result can be achieved. The opposing side will present arguments, which will allow you to turn them in the right direction.

Magical Paradox

This technique of negotiating with clients is a priori advantageous, but you need to use it wisely. The point is to give the impression of striving to achieve one goal, although your true desire is to achieve the opposite result. The method is perfect for the initial stage of negotiations. At this point, you need to move your opponent from a state of resistance to a state of contemplation. AtIn a conflict situation, your "no" may cause the interlocutor to want to say "yes".

Objection handling is a large amount of time in all organizations that deal with sales. You must first agree with your opponent, accepting his position on this issue. During the conversation, lead him to the idea that your arguments also have a right to exist. This technique of negotiating with customers is perfectly complemented by phrases at the end of sentences: “isn't it?”, “Really?”. In most cases, the interlocutor silently nods his head or openly agrees. Now you can smoothly move on to the stage of cooperation. The main thing is to prove that you can be trusted and that you are the person who understands the client in everything.

Empathy

The technique of negotiating is impossible to summarize. It is necessary to consider the maximum number of options so that the reader can use the tips in real life. Empathy is empathy, its use is appropriate in cases where the interlocutors openly conflict and escalate the situation to the limit. As a third party, you can intervene and take the side of one of the parties to the dispute. It is recommended to try to cheer up the accused.

In this way, the negative feelings of anger and anger will turn into a positive feeling by understanding the state of the victim. Your task in this situation is to reduce the interlocutors to a conversation on neutral territory, offering to resolve the conflict on your own. It is necessary to tell each participant the motivation of his opponent,offer to be "in the shoes" of the interlocutor.

The reverse of empathy

This method is suitable for people who specifically ignore your requirements, do not fulfill their immediate duties, are simply lazy. The method is effective when dealing with naughty children.

The essence of this type of negotiation technique is that you convey to the interlocutor humility with the situation, even despite internal chagrin and irritation. In other words, the manager misleads his opponents by doing something that is not expected of him at all. For example, instead of claims and criticism, which, according to the logic of things, should fall on subordinates, you focus on humility and guilt. Competent leaders admit their mistakes, which led to an unfavorable situation.

If you actively use this method, but there are no results, you need to understand the psychological type of the interlocutor. Perhaps the opponent is a "narcissist". Sales have their own terminology. The category of "narcissists" includes those people who do not know how to build equal relationships, they always put themselves above. In their eyes, you are their fan or enthusiastic spectator.

Do you really think so?

All people are different, the main feature of a professional is to find an approach to everyone. Some are highly dramatic, showing excessive emotions. A person winds himself and those around him. With this technique of negotiating in business, you transfer the interlocutor to a more balanced state. It is very effective to ask the question: “do you really think so?”. Only necessaryfeel the situation so as not to be the loser in this moment.

This question usually confuses overly emotional people. They really think, then they understand the senseless enumeration of passions. In this situation, you will hear excuses and retreat tactics. The tone of speech is of great importance here. It is necessary to ask kindly and calmly, in no case use irony or hostility. Asking a simple question at the right time will turn the situation on its head, and you will become the leader in the conversation. Simply put, the interlocutor independently gives the initiative and helps to understand the true state of things.

Interjection "hmm"

Diplomatic negotiation techniques do not tolerate the use of parasitic words and interjections. However, we are told that we need to focus on a specific situation. An irritated and overly excited interlocutor should be directed to a calmer direction by defusing the situation.

This can be achieved by using the phrases “tell me more”, “so what?” etc. The use of interjections leads to a friendly environment. When your opponent is emotionally trying to prove something to you, say “hmm”. In most cases, this makes him at least surprised. This is not going on the defensive, you are just going into the shadows, allowing the opposite side to calm down and listen.

Many managers make a number of mistakes. You need to understand that the technique and tactics of negotiating require a high level of professionalism, because in a wordbusiness relationships that have been built over the years can be destroyed. An angry person does not need to say "calm down" to calm him down. The interlocutor will get even more angry and will be opposed. A neutral "hmm" is not taken as an insult. On the contrary, this is the first step towards an adequate conversation.

Admit your weaknesses

In the practice of lawyers there is such a term as a reservation, or recognition of a fact. What does it mean? It turns out that the lawyer recognizes in advance the fact that the client has committed certain actions that do not need to be challenged. The order and technique of conducting business negotiations in this sense is no different.

If you understand that the enemy will bring up this topic, it is better to immediately talk about your shortcomings or a potential problem. In fact, interlocutors are often lost in such situations, because half of the material prepared will turn out to be unnecessary nonsense. For the successful development of business and personality, a person must master the ability to negotiate. Briefly state your weakness to your opponent: the essence of the weakness and how you can get rid of it. At the same time, it is not recommended to focus on this, after the presentation, you should move on to other topics for discussion.

Switching attention

When there is a conflict situation, the interlocutors try to look more advantageous against the background of the opponent and pay too much attention to small details. In fact, they argued about one thing, and at the end of the conversation they moved into a completely opposite area. In such situations, one of the mostan effective technique is to switch attention to other important topics.

You need to ask a personal question that will not offend the enemy and defuse the situation. Selling and negotiating techniques often overlap. If you ask the right question in a timely manner, you can simultaneously increase confidence in your person and, accordingly, sell a product or service. Often they ask in such situations for a future vacation, goals in life, etc. Considering a completely extraordinary proposal will create an easy and relaxed atmosphere. The main thing is to practice as much as possible. Perhaps over time you will be able to develop your own negotiation techniques that will work better. In this sense, the exchange of experience is considered an indispensable luxury, you need to use it to the maximum.

Side by side method

The fact is that face-to-face communication is not comfortable, and misunderstandings often arise on this basis. The purpose of any communication is to win over a person, to try to establish friendly contact. In order to maintain mutual understanding, a side-by-side approach can be used.

The conversation turns into a joint activity of the team, whose actions are aimed at achieving a common goal. During the conversation, ask as many questions as possible to get to know the person better. If you have enough information to determine personal qualities, it will be easier to negotiate with your opponent.

Technique for conducting telephone conversations. Listening skills

Telephone conversations are usually classified as a separate group, we will tryconsider the issue in this context. To achieve a positive result, you need to learn to listen and, most importantly, to hear the interlocutor. It is not recommended to ask direct questions, because it causes irritation and suspicion. Many people see this as an invasion of privacy.

It is much more effective to use the method of leading questions that reveal the interlocutor as a person. The technique of negotiating on the phone is slightly different from a face-to-face meeting. You need to be able to ask a question in which there is a conditional "pass". The opponent will wish to close this gap faster, and a full-fledged conversation will turn out (you are going to buy this refrigerator, because …). Any information should be taken seriously, because you don’t know what kind of people will communicate with you in the future. If during the conversation you were able to identify the preferences of the interlocutor, put pressure on it during the conversation, so you will be in a winning position.

Don't be afraid to hear "no"

This method is more of a tough negotiation technique. Despite the fact that the interlocutor refuses you, you need to achieve your goal. This approach is used by almost all sellers and sales managers. It consists in persistent pursuit of the goal. If you hear a final and irrevocable “no”, it is better to give the client time to think. This is an advantage for you, because now you know exactly where the very red line that you cannot cross.

However, it is still necessary to persistently offer goods and services, to achieve what you want from the client. If ahear the client's refusal in response, do not rush to panic. Not always denial in this case means the final decision. In most situations, a person thinks to what extent his needs coincide with the offer. Moderate persistence helps the customer to choose a quality product at the lowest possible price.

Self-control

Resilience is currently a very important trait, the absence of which can make you lose your job. In a situation of emotional breakdown, it is very difficult to recover, but if you use self-control methods, you will succeed. Managers often lose their temper when using telephone techniques. In this case, it's easier when you see a person live. It is much more difficult to explain something in the format of a telephone conversation.

In a stressful situation, the first and foremost advice is to call "no panic." The first step is to try to switch the brain to logical thinking and name the feelings that you are experiencing at the moment. Why is this done, you ask. Studies have shown that in such a situation, the amygdala in the brain calms down over time and thinking moves to the next stage: the logical-rational layer. In other words, you can put it this way: do not say the phrase “everything will be fine”, “everything is in order” in case of nervous breakdowns. It is necessary to accurately describe the state, for example, "I'm scared." These words can be said out loud only when you are alone and can be silent for a minute and wait for the reaction of the body.

The value of interlocutors

In allOrganizations have one principle - the customer is always right. The technique of negotiating with clients in the bank is based on it. Every person wants to be appreciated. The feeling of self-importance gives people strength and patience. If you somehow showed how important the client is, then with a high degree of probability you will receive gratitude in the form of an agreement on your proposal.

It's quite common for problematic people to demand attention. There is a category of individuals who bring problems into life. They are constantly asking for support, always unhappy. They feel the world is prejudiced against us while they are unlucky.

Identifying the needs of a new client

Negotiation technique is a tricky thing, which we will look at more specifically. Identification of needs occurs through the formulation of leading questions. This is done so that the new client feels fully involved in the process and understands that his life problems and circumstances are not indifferent to the company. Each manager here chooses the way to achieve the goal. Someone plunges completely into the task, someone only creates an illusion. A good salesperson should have a sense of responsibility for the result. According to statistics, this helps not only to truly understand the issue, but also to provide a quality service.

Therefore, identifying customer needs is at the heart of all business relationships. You already at the stage of negotiations establish trusting relationships with customers, which cannot but rejoice. In the future, work at this stage will greatly facilitatetask.

Goal setting

All business dealings must be honest. And it doesn’t matter what exactly we are talking about: the purchase of goods or the provision of services. There is a product presentation in almost all sales options. It allows you to visually show the planned benefit of the client, and then compare it with the needs. The buyer will immediately be imbued with a trusting relationship, as the manager works, tries to find the most advantageous offer. The goal must be ambitious. If all employees strive to fulfill the figures of the plan, as a result, the flow of people will increase, and wages will increase.

When offering your service or product, remember the basic rule: you need to convey to the client that he does not overpay for something unknown, this is an investment in success. The technique of negotiating does not allow you to tell the client that the task is difficult and therefore expensive. The manager must show clearly how many stages of work exist, the average price of the service and what are its advantages compared to similar offers on the market. Let's give an example: you pay this much for filing an application, because it will be an individual claim, we will independently resolve the issue with the court so that it accepts it, etc.

Before negotiating with a client, you need to carefully prepare and repeat the various stages of sales. It is necessary to own the training material and know the practice of working out objections. Be professional in your business, value and respect your customers - and you will be successful.