If you want to be a winner in any dispute and turn the situation in your favor, take the initiative immediately and put forward constructive proposals, taking into account the interests of both parties. Geniusbeauty.com talked to psychologists and made a list of recommendations that will help you defend your point of view in negotiations, to get what you want and not to spoil the relations with others.
Generate a commanding voice
If you mumble, babble and get confused when speaking, no one will take you seriously. Psychologists say that a strong voice and a certain timbre will help convince your opponent that you are right, if, of course, you learn how to correctly use the right combination of voice, intonation, words, and so on. This is the key to successful negotiations.
If you cannot cope with anxiety and doubt your abilities, sign up for a course where you will be taught the basics of rhetoric and learn to overcome the fear of public speaking. Next time when you need to defend your point of view, you will know for sure that you will succeed.
A few deep breaths and slow expirations also help to calm down.
Prepare for negotiations
To increase your chance of winning (and negotiate exactly as you need), you need to tune yourself in and prepare for this event. In addition, do not forget about a certain strategy which can help you change the situation to your own advantage. For example, according to experts, it is not recommended to immediately attack the opponent, expressing all your arguments. After all, even if your arguments are really true, your opponent will regard this as a real attack and an assault on his personal boundaries. As a result, the person will defend himself and transform the negotiations into open conflict.
Therefore, start with something neutral, allowing your partner to relax a bit and focus on peaceful solutions. Bring your arguments one by one, with the most weighty one presented last.
Mention the pros and cons of what is happening
Next, instead of immediately taking the bull by the horns, calmly enlist the main advantages and disadvantages of what is happening. Mark the key points and explain why this situation is inconvenient for both parties (it is very important to make the interlocutor understand that you do not think first of all about your own benefit, even if it is not true). Try to convey information as clearly as possible, focusing on the minuses, so that it somehow motivates the opponent to take your side.
Recall the values that everyone understands
Do not forget to address the interests that are relevant to most people. For example, if we are talking about some personal aspects, we can mention health, family, rest, good relationships with others, and so on.
If you are focused on business topics, mention saving time, effort, money, the security of the deal, reaching a new level, prospects for development, benefits to others and other aspects. These values are close to each person, so you will be able not only to endear your interlocutor but also touch some aspects that seem important to him.
Offer solutions
Immediately take the situation into your own hands and, without giving your opponent a chance to recover, suggest solutions to the current situation, taking into account the interests of both parties. Do not forget to emphasize that these options will be mutually beneficial to both of you, and at the same time mention what they are valuable for and what prospects they offer to you.
Define an action plan and the timeline
Be sure to share the action plan and fix the time frame during which, in your opinion, it will be possible to solve certain issues or achieve the final result (some ideas require a detailed approach, therefore it will be more logical to agree on the deadlines for each specific item). Otherwise, if your opponent does not hear specific results and deadlines, all your efforts may be reduced to nothing and the negotiations will fail. In order not to aggravate the situation and bring it to the end, be sure to stop at this point and convey to the interlocutor that you are also interested in the results that will exceed all your expectations.
Do not let the other person interrupt you
In the process of negotiations, the interlocutor will interrupt you, trying to express an emotional statement at those moments with which he does not agree. Try to resist provocations, do not switch to personal issues and complete what has been started. Stay calm and confident, gently reminding your opponent that you have the right to speak and you would not want to be interrupted. Never raise your voice and do not get lost, otherwise, the negotiations will escalate into a conflict, and this is not beneficial to anyone.
Keep Calm
Experts recommend giving your opponent a chance to speak out, and then he will start listening to you more attentively. At a certain moment, pause, listen to everything that the other person wants to tell you, and calmly develop your ideas. Say that you hear and understand it. According to psychologists, many people begin to show aggression only because it is important for them to be heard, and you do not give such an opportunity.
Define your intentions and goals and try to clearly convey this idea to the interlocutor. In this case, you will manage to avoid misunderstandings, insults, and provocations and make the decision that you will find optimal.
