What Are Negotiation Skills?
What Are Negotiation Skills?
Life is full of moments where we might disagree with others or not be presented with our preferred outcome. In these moments, the ability to negotiate and overcome differences with others can be a critical skill. Opportunities for negotiation can arise in a variety of circumstances, including at work, with friends and among family.
What are Some Important Negotiation Skills?
Lisa-Jane Bell is a negotiation skills trainer at MSA Training and Professional Development. Her background in event management has required her to negotiate with people across the world when organising large-scale events.
Lisa-Jane says there are several skills which she draws upon when working with others. Firstly, it’s important to be asking the right questions in a negotiation.
“Learning how to ask the right questions of the other party is a great skill,” she said.
“Well-worded questions can be used to gather more information and at times even dramatically diffuse a tense situation.
“This in turn can lead to more productive, win-win negotiations that feel more like problem solving exercises than fights!”
Secondly, a plan for negotiation should always be thought out ahead of time.
“Having a simple plan for the process of negotiation combined with a positive outlook and a confident approach is the best way to head into a negotiation,” Lisa-Jane said.
Finally, improving interpersonal skills will allow for more successful negotiations.
“Working on your interpersonal skills like rapport building, active listening and assertiveness will assist your overall negotiation skills,” she said.
How to Improve Your Negotiation Skills
Negotiation skills can be further improved with the Negotiation Skills for Absolute Beginners course at MSA Training and Professional Development. The one-day workshop teaches students various strategies on how to manage conflict and improve their confidence when negotiating.
Trainer Lisa-Jane says the course takes students through all aspects of a negotiation.
“We work through a basic roadmap for negotiation and relate it back to negotiations the students have had in the past or plan on having in the future,” she said.
“It’s great to use real life examples to work on negotiation strategies. This gives the course a real workshop style and swiftly develops skill levels.”
Workshopped scenarios include salary negotiations and real estate negotiations, ensuring students are equipped with essential skills f