7 Negotiation Tactics You Must Learn to Have a Successful Career

In any career, the ability to negotiate is essential. Whether you're negotiating a raise with your boss or a contract with a client, being able to get what you want is a key skill.

So if you're looking to improve your negotiation skills, read on for 7 negotiation tactics you must learn to have a successful career.

1. The art of compromise

Despite everybody saying that they understand that a perfect job doesn't exist, in reality, some don't.

In any negotiation, both parties need to be willing to compromise in order to reach an agreement. If you're not willing to give up something, then the other party is likely to walk away from the negotiation and you won't achieve your desired outcome.

A career is essentially a long list of comprimises one is happy to make. In reality, you make a compromise when you decide to accept a job offer, since no job is perfect and you have make a decision based on imperfect choices. However, a lot of people fall into the trap of buyer's remorse, such as "I shouldn't have accepted the job offer as my daily work is so boring".

When making a decision to accept or reject a job offer, you should in theory be able to describe your reasons for your intentions based on imperfect information. Having accepted a job offer and quitting quickly afterwards calls into question your intial judgment. It is inadvisable to change jobs too often, as many career coaches and HRs would say, yet a lot of people still do so. Not being able to stick it out will never give you the tools and knowledge needed to achieve career progression in the long run, hence learning how to comprimise is key.

It is often easy for employees to focus on their own needs, such as requiring a flawless working environment, requiring flawless colleagues, requiring a huge pay rise etc., whilst overlooking what employers may be able to offer. If you don't realize the limitations that employers may have commonly in your industry, changing jobs won't work out for you as you are likely to call quits again soon after.

Being able to compromise allows you to have better judgment when it comes to changing jobs or even industries, as this enables to think more logically. For example, it might be worth sacrificing some money in the short term in return for picking up certain skillsets beneficial for future pay rises.

The key here is that you must be clear in what you are doing. Your thinking process must be clear when it comes to knowing why you are in a certain job you are, so that when difficulties arise, you can be able to make short term comprimises in return for something better in the future.

2. Understanding the power of body language

People often overlook how good body language can go far in one's career.

When you step into your office every day, you are essentially stepping into a series of negotiations ahead of you, such as negotiating for less work from your boss, resolving client and coworker disputes etc.

Your body language is often more important than the words you're saying when negotiating. Try imagining that you are in the receiving end when your colleague asks you for a favour. Would you be more willing to help out your colleague if he/she smiles more, walks more professinally and gestures more politely? If your answer is yes, remember to always be your best self during work, especially when you ask for a favour or when you are asked for a favour. Make sure you project confidence with your posture and keep eye contact with other coworkers to show that you're sincere and interested in what they're saying.

Good body language can also be used to make the other person feel more comfortable, which allows you build more intimate relationships at work. For example, if you mirror their body language, they'll likely feel more relaxed and open to negotiation.

To sum up, in any negotiation, or interaction with others, it is important to be aware of the nonverbal cues you are sending. Your body language can say a lot about your confidence level and your interest in workplace negotiations.

3. Employing the power of persuasion

Persuasion is a powerful negotiation tactic that can be used to convince the other party to agree to your terms. When persuading someone, it's important to recognize that emotional persuasion is just as important as logical persuasion.

Ever notice that nobody seems to budge from their positions during a debate? Have you heard of the saying “It's hard to win an argument with a smart person, but it's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person.” by Bill Murray?

Facts and logic don't always work in debates or arguments. In fact, they nearly never work. That is human nature. However, humans seem more likely to listen when being emotionally persuaded. That is not to say that emotional appeals should not be based on a certain degree of fact, but one musn't forget that humans act on emotions rather than logic.

Therefore, when you find yourself arguing with your colleagues or boss, don't forget to take a step back and calm yourself. At the end of the day, it is important to get things done rather than being involved in never ending arguments that will hurt everybody. Prioritize the use of emotions first to get what you want, instead of focusing on simply logcis and facts. For instance, if you feel wronged by your colleague, instead of simply focusing on what you think your colleague has done wrong, you should aim to strike a reconciliation with your colleague through emotional appeals so that you can benefit from the situation.

Remember, being at bad terms with your colleagues will never get you far in your career.

4. The importance of preparation

As with any negotiation, it's important to be prepared before entering into talks. This means knowing what you want to achieve from the negotiation and what you're willing to compromise on.

For example, if you wish to receive a salary increase, it is vital that you prepare valid talking points to emotionally and logically persuade your employer to hand you what you desire. If you wish to take a day off from work, remember to give a logical reason to your boss. When you wish to extract even a tiny favour from your colleagues, don't let your guard down and prepare thoroughly before asking for anything in the workplace. Recognize the fact that there are virtually no free lunches in the world we live in, and that favours may need to be returned at some point.

Basically, preparation means doing your research and being aware of the other party's position when making requests. Don't make requests unless you really need help and that you have thought through your reasons behind asking for such help.

5. Employing the power of leverage

Leverage is a powerful negotiation tactic that can be used to get what you want from the other party. Leverage can be created by threatening to walk away from the negotiation or by offering something that the other party wants in exchange for what you want.

For example, if you're trying to negotiate a higher salary, you might threaten to quit if you don't get the raise you're asking for. Or, if you're trying to purchase a car, you might offer to trade in your old car as part of the deal. Obviously, I'm not asking you to threaten your boss for a pay rise, but you must understand the power of leverage and be unafraid of employing it to get something you want.

This goes back to the importance of research ahead of negotiations, or in the workplace, asking for favours. Understand what leverage you hold over the opposite party, so that you can have your requests accepted in a way that won't cause harm to your workplace relationships.

6. The importance of compromise (same as point #1 as I want to emphasize how important this is!)

Just as a reminder again, compromise is an important part of any negotiation and is often necessary in order to reach an agreement. When compromising, it's important to consider what's important to you and what you're willing to give up in order to get what you want.

It's also important to remember that compromise isn't always a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it can lead to a better outcome than if either party had held firm on their original position.

Here's my bonus tip when it comes to compromisations specifically in the workplace:

When dealing with workplace arguments, always consider compromisation as one of your options, except when it comes to the possibility of comprimising your core beliefs and moral values. Taking a step back in the short term can meaning taking multiple large steps forward in the future. Don't avoid confrontations when necessary but it is usually wise to give the other person a way out after an argument, so that you can maintain harmonious workplace relationships.

7. Know what you want

Before you even start negotiating, you need to know what you want. What are your goals? What are your bottom line? Having a clear understanding of what you want will help you immensely during the negotiation process. That is, before switching jobs, think about your goals in life and in your career before taking small steps to fulfill them. Don't enter unnecessary negotiations, such as negotiating for a pay rise when you feel you are treated fairly. It's vital to recognize that every negotiation you enter to poses risks. Don't negotiate if you havn't thought through your needs and wants.

That's it for today's blog! Remember that every interaction we have with someone else is in some ways, a negotiation. If you come out more times in top than not, congratulations - your career should be in the right track!