Don t Expect to Win Them All

Don't Expect to Win Them All

Negotiation can be discouraging. We can make some silly mistakes, some unnecessary comments and we lose it. Either the deal does not get concluded, or our counterpart walks away with the better deal. Often, large amounts of energy, time and resource have been expended. The process can be so wearing at times.

Where you can, laugh! Reflect on something funny or absurd. Don't take it all too seriously. Ask yourself what you can learn, write it down and then apply the knowledge you have gained. Do remain enthusiastic. Business people need to maintain enthusiasm. Negotiation will always wear us down, wear down our aspirations; we need to keep positive.

Often your counterpart will react negatively in the negotiation. Expect it; don't be threatened or worn down by it. It is simply part of their attempt to lower your aspirations. Keep positive.

By the way, just in case you are wondering, I don't spend my entire life negotiating on everything. It can actually be embarrassing to friends and family and it can become unnecessarily stressful, particularly on small things. But I do make sure that on the major areas of expenditure I do at the very least think through the negotiation implications. Sometimes, because of the frenetic pace of life we will not take the time to negotiate on smaller areas of expenditure, and that can be a totally valid judgement to make. Equally, I try to be very careful to use my negotiation with small businesses and struggling companies to help them win.