Whether you’re buying a car, bargaining over rent and splitting bills with your housemates, or just trying to restore some balance to a situation you’ve found yourself in that’s just a tad unfair, having some negotiation skills up your sleeve is a must for every Vina!
First you need to think about the context of the relationship and assess your bargaining position. Do you have something the other party wants or vice versa?
Or are both parties bringing something to the table?
If you have something the other party wants, needs, or is of a higher value than what they can give you, you have a stronger bargaining position. However, value isn’t just monetary! Time and lifestyle factors also play a part, and everyone places different values on these things. If there are a number of these elements in the mix, the strength of your position should become clear once the negotiations are under way.
Regardless of how strong your bargaining position may be, it isn’t licence to act like a d*ck. You still need to consider whether your relationship with the other party has a future, and this will affect how willing you are to compromise for the sake of moving forward. If you are working on the basis that you will probably never see them again, you can go all in, no holds barred if you want, but a wise woman once told me that you catch more flies with honey…
Now, just because we’ve decided to be congenial doesn’t mean the other person will be, but don’t let them put you off or take advantage of your good nature; stay calm and stand your ground. You got this!
OK. So no we know what we’ve got, what we want and that we are going to be cool about it, it’s time to brush up on a few tactics. These will depend on your barganing position and your relationship with the other party.
Be firm
You know what you want, and you’re going to do your best to get it! Be firm and clear about your needs, there’s no room for wallflowers here! If you’re in a position to be giving concessions, make sure the other party has justified and earnt every single one of them.
Do your homework
Be prepared to need to justify your position, particularly if your barganing position isn’t strong. Do your homework so you can sell your position to the other party and present your case from as many angles as possible- practical, financial, emotional, anything you can think of!!
Give a deadline
Negotiations can potentially drag on forevs. Set a deadline upfront to reduce it going back and forth and around in circles. Tying the deadline to something legit (tax year, end of semester, Christmas, holiday etc) will give you more credibility than picking an arbitrary timeframe that comes and goes.
High-Ball/Low-Ball
You know that game you play with market vendors where you ask how much, they say 20, you say 10 and you agree on 15? This is high-balling/low-balling and can be handy if you want the other party to feel like you’ve reached a fair compromise. Mentally set a satisfactory range of what you’d be happy with, keep this information close to your chest and go from there.
Negotiations can be draining, especially if you’re heavily invested in your relationship with the other party. Sometimes you might want to fight to the death, and other times you will want to do whatever it takes to make it be over! Stay level headed, remember why you’re there and get it girl!
(Feature image via Pinterest)
VINAZINE 