{"id":568,"date":"2013-01-30T15:23:47","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T15:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=568"},"modified":"2013-01-30T15:23:47","modified_gmt":"2013-01-30T15:23:47","slug":"six-steps-to-negotiate-effectively-for-your-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/six-steps-to-negotiate-effectively-for-your-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Six steps to negotiate effectively for your small business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Do you dread negotiating? Do you walk away from the negotiating table feeling that you didn\u2019t get what you wanted or not enough of it?\u00a0 Running your small business involves negotiating in just about everything you do \u2013 hiring someone, working out a contract with a customer or supplier or forming a partnership.<\/p>\n<p>Many people approach negotiating as a win\/lose proposition. It isn\u2019t. It\u2019s a communication process in which two parties are striving for a mutually acceptable conclusion. Negotiating is part of building a relationship so that it\u2019s important both parties feel good about the outcome.<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/30\/six-steps-to-negotiate-effectively-for-your-small-business\/two-businessmen-having-a-meeting-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-569\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-569\" alt=\"two businessmen having a meeting\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/two-businessmen-having-a-meeting-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If negotiating doesn\u2019t come naturally, there are ways to hone your skills so that you approach the process with more confidence. Here are six steps to help make you a more effective negotiator.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><strong>Negotiate with confidence<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understand everyone\u2019s goals:\u00a0 Find out as much as you can about what the other party wants before you sit down to the negotiating table. Research the company online (even follow <a href=\"http:\/\/www.plantronics.com\/us\/cmpn\/big-trends\/big-trends.jsp\">social media channels<\/a>) and talk to others who do business with them. It\u2019s also reasonable to ask the other party what they expect; even if it turns out they aren\u2019t forthcoming. \u00a0By the same token, be clear what you want from the final terms.<\/li>\n<li>Operate from a position of strength:\u00a0 You have something that the other party wants and you want to be sure they understand the benefit of working out an agreement with you. At the same time, you don\u2019t want the negotiation to become a battle of egos. In striving for a mutually beneficial outcome, listen to what the other party has to say and be respectful of their point of view and position.<\/li>\n<li>Ask for what you want: Expert negotiators will tell you to \u2018aim high,\u2019 but be prepared to justify your demands. Aiming high is not the same thing as drawing a line in the sand. There\u2019s no place in negotiating for a \u2018take it or leave it\u2019 position.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your cool: Negotiating can generate a lot of emotion. Keep your cool and be diplomatic \u2013 no name calling or intimidation. You want to keep the peace and aim to put everyone at ease until you reach mutually acceptable terms.<\/li>\n<li>Be prepared to compromise: Even before you enter into the negotiations, decide what you are willing to give up.\u00a0 However, be prepared to walk away if the other party is unwilling to compromise and if you feel you have better options elsewhere.<\/li>\n<li>Commit and expect the same: Once you agree to terms, make it clear you are committed and that you expect the same from the other side. Put everything in writing to make sure there are no misunderstandings or loose ends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to love negotiating.\u00a0 Still you can learn to be effective at it for your sake and the sake of your small business.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you dread negotiating? Do you walk away from the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[510],"tags":[637,580,450],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}