My Article Archive

Have you ever tried to negotiate with a 2 year old?

Were you surprised with their negotiation skills?

Well, my son is now almost 2 and half years old and has now discovered that he has a will - a seriously strong will at that. Typical of children at this stage, he is far more concerned with getting what he wants than with complying with his mother or father's wishes.

It seems to me that as children we tend to be assertive rather than accommodating in our interaction with others. We are only interested in meeting our own needs and wants rather than accommodating the needs and desires of others around us.

It is only as we grow older that we learn the world does not in fact revolve around us and that we have to fit into society in a responsible and positive way. We learn that we can not only do as we wish but also have to think about the rights, feelings and desires of others.

This made me think about the 5 fundamental negotiation approaches and how you can use them to underpin the achievement of your sales negotiation goals.

1.Competitive negotiation

This is a way of negotiation that is primarily assertive and focused on your own needs, desires and goals.

2.Accommodating negotiation

This is a style of negotiation that is primarily concerned only with the needs, desires and goals of your counterparts whilst ignoring your own needs. Sales training courses often support this negotiation approach as the most appropriate strategy.

3.Compromising negotiation

Probably the most famous of all negotiation strategies. This is a mode of negotiation where you meet your counterpart in the middle. You get some of your needs, wants and goals met and you do the same for your counterpart.

4.Collaborative negotiation

This is a way of negotiation where you try to satisfy all of the needs, desires and objectives of your counterparts and they reciprocate.

5.Avoiding negotiation

This is a way of interaction where you do not regard negotiation as the best way to achieve your goals.

The critical factors which will determine which of the above strategies should be in your negotiations is to respond to the following 3 questions:

a.What is the Importance of an ongoing relationship to you?

If the relationship is critical, then you will not be able to be only competitive, you will have to at least compromise with your counterpart. If you do not meet the needs of your counterparts, then it is not likely that a meaningful relationship will develop.

b.How many alternatives are available to you?

If you have a host of alternatives available, you can afford to be more competitive. Conversely, if you have no alternatives, then you will be forced to be more accommodating.

c.How much time do you have available?

If you have a lot of time available, then you can afford to be more competitive. The less time available to you, the more accommodating you will have to be.

As you can see, it is important to ask yourself these 3 questions before you start negotiating so that you can pick the approach best suited to the situation at hand rather than just following a negotiation strategy based only on your preference.

It is also important to remember that you should be flexible in your approach. You may want to change your strategy as new information becomes available during your negotiations.

Why It Is Necessary To Build Relationships In Order To Grow Your Dream Business
Attraction marketing these days is all about relationships. The concept of attraction marketing has become exceptionally popular because it focuses on just that, creating valuable relationships, giving something not just simply trying to sell something. Reciprocity is of utmost importance, giving to receive is absolutely the key here :)

Executive Coaching Can Help Your Business Grow And To Achieve Your Aims
Executive coaching can be the ideal answer for one person or for the entire management staff of a corporation coping with challenges, old or new, but not having either the time or the desire to attend courses, lectures, workshops, or seminars

Information About Business Coaching And Management
If you are interested in becoming a business manager yourself, you may want to seek out a career coach or attend a project management training to help you decide how you can accomplish this goal.

What's The Cheapest Credit Card Merchant Account And Just How To Uncover Them?
This article looks at the merchant processing industry and how to choose a merchant account that is right for an individual's needs.

Searching For The Cheapest Merchant Services For Your Organizations Requirements?
Looking For cheap merchant account processing? If you are then you'll know it's not easy to find. Read this to see the best methods to get it done.

Offering Settlement Versatility To Your Clients By Utilizing Credit Card Merchant Accounts.
Getting the wrong merchant account can be very expensive. Read this article now to understand ways to find the best and cheapest processing companies.

Pocket Folders Make Sure It Is Effortless To Deal With Documents
In any office, the management of documents is an important but tough task. It requires the use of dedicated tools to handle documents. It is a specific task that requires great precision and efficiency.

How To Safeguard Your Invention To Prevent Copycats Once You Have A Brand New Invention Idea
When you come up with a new invention idea its like having that magic Eureka moment. One of the first things you should do is look to get a patent to protect you from copycats.