Top 10 Skills in Negotiation – USA

According to a study at Harvard, 80% negotiators adopt an erroneous strategy in negotiation.[i] They size up the other party at the negotiation table and create their strategy from there. Only 20% of negotiators use an assertive approach where they have a clear idea of their goals and how much they are willing to compromise.[i] To lead a negotiation requires a set of skills. Here are the top 10 skills that will help you to master negotiation.

1 Negotiation Technique Prepare, identify mutual gain, bargain and reach the final agreement
2 Assertiveness Be assertive and let the other party follow your lead
3 Communication Communicate with clarity and confidence
4 Body Language  Use positive body language while decoding the body language of the other party
5 Conflict Resolution   Know the techniques to identify the root of the problem, your options and reach the right decision
6 Active Listening Listen actively to estimate the needs of the other party correctly
7 Emotional Intelligence Don’t let your emotional triggers hurt you. Learn how to control your emotions and understand other’s feeling to lead, influence and persuade
8 Constructive Criticism  Sandwich the negative between two positives to lead criticism towards a positive outcome
9 Creative Problem Solving  Find solutions to problems by gathering information, generating solutions, analysing, and reaching the best possible solution
10 Managing Difficult Conversations   Use active listening, questions, distractions, postponement and persuasion when managing difficult conversations

Sources   [i] http://thenegotiationblog.com/2011/08/19/an-interesting-negotiation-statistic/

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