Negotiation is the single most powerful tool in your hands to increase your money, whether you’re an entrepreneur or a W2 worker.
But negotiation often makes our tummy hurt and our hands shake, so I’m here with three negotiation tips that can help quiet your tummy and put some more money in your pocket.
Negotiation is not a battle
A lot of us head into any meeting where money will be discussed with guns blazing, ready for war.
But the first mistake is thinking that negotiation is a battle. It’s not.
You should think of negotiation as a tango; you and your client or boss are in this thing together. They have a need; your work. You have a need: their money. Together, you can dance your way into an agreement that works for both of you.
Coming into the negotiation with a hostile or angry or even just defensive attitude is only going to eliminate the opportunity for you to lay out the case for why your boss wants to be your tango dance partner.
Learn to Recognize Intimidation Tactics
I genuinely hope you never have to walk into this kind of negotiation, but the truth is, some people will try and bully you into accepting their terms.
It’s a no from me pal. Recognizing intimidation tactics is one of the most important negotiation tips I can give anyone.
These tactics can show up in many forms. Here are a few to keep an eye out for:
-Time crunch. This intimidation tactic is all about getting you to sign the paperwork RIGHT NOW, before you have a chance to review the fine print or to talk to anyone else who might encourage you to ask for more.
-Flipping questions back on you. This one might be the one I find most annoying; people will skip answering your question and parry with one of their own/flip your question back onto you. Think of something like this: you ask what workplace expectations there are for this role and the manager says something like “well what does doing good work look like to you?”
-Refusing to define details or scope. Freelancers, beware! This one is very, very common. It’s a tactic to get more work out of you for less money. It’s why we talk about defining scope in precise detail in our freelancer course!
Learning to sniff out people’s bullshit will serve you well in all negotiations. If something is pinging your discomfort or BS radar, listen to your gut. Examine why it makes you uncomfortable; what are they trying to get you to do that you actually don’t want to do? By answering that question you’ll get at the heart of what their trying to manipulate in the negotiation.
Know What You’re Walking Into
Negotiation thrives on research. It really does. The more you know going in about the company, the role, and the person you’re speaking to, the more powerful you’ll feel. You’ll be able to lead the dance!
Do your homework. Pretend it’s junior year of high school again and you’re working on a paper that’s due in a few days. You have to do the research, fact check, and cite your sources.
Those are our hot negotiation tips for you! What tips have worked for you? Leave them in the comments!
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