Negotiation skills are used daily. We use them as a way to settle differences with others whether is in life, work, or negotiating with yourself. Yes, I said that. Read on to learn why we need negotiation skills, who we negotiate with, why they are important, and what skills are needed for powerful negotiations.
Did you know negotiation skills start when you are young? It could have been at the lunch table,”I’ll trade my PBJ for your turkey sandwich.” Or at Halloween, “I’ll give you my Sprees for your Sweetarts.”
Negotiation skills require compromise. Each party tries to reach an agreement with the other without argument or dispute. And each party is looking for their best outcome.
Watch this video to find out more about negotiation skills. 
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Table of Contents
Where do we negotiate?
- work
- personal
- with ourselves
Work
In the work environment, we may negotiate salaries or schedules. Depending on the work you do, you may negotiate with clients.
Personal
In our personal lives it might look something like this:
- I’ll do the dishes if you cook.
- I’ll take out the trash if you do the laundry.
- If you pick up the dry cleaning, I will put gas in the car.
You get it. it seems simple, but those are negotiations on a smaller scale.
Yourself
I bet you never thought you have ever negotiated with yourself. But most likely, you do it at least once a day. We negotiate with ourselves all day long.
- Should I cook tonight or get carry-out?
- I’m hungry. Should I eat veggies or chips?
- I have a fever, should I go to the doctor now or wait until tomorrow?
Why negotiation skills are important
Negotiation skills are an important part of interacting with others.
For example, when you are buying a car, the salesman wants an increased price than one would want to pay.
Perhaps I may disagree with my husband when he wants Italian food for the night but I want Korean. We both then compromise and find a place we are mutual about.
As long as we are interacting with other people, we have to learn to negotiate.
6 negotiation skills to master
1. Preparedness
Know who you are negotiating with. Have an idea of what that other person may want to get a feel for their “bottom line.”
Then you need to know what you are willing to compromise through the process. What are you willing to give up to get what you want in the end?
My example: I was looking for a Cricut Explorer on eBay. There was a product being sold and they wanted $160 or the best offer. I made a counteroffer of $125 with a 12-hour limit. Then the party countered back at $135. When I looked at the party’s background in regards to their selling history. They had just joined eBay the same day. It appears they filed a false product. Again, be prepared.
2. Clear communication
You need to be clear about what you want from the other person, And you need to be able to communicate clearly both written and orally.
Many times when one is negotiating something comes up you were not aware of. There is a surprise. This is because the negotiation was not being communicated clearly.
3. Active listening
We talked about this in WTF 29.
Focus on the speaker and attempt to keep an open mind to understand the entire message.
Ask any necessary follow-up questions to make sure you understand fully what is going on.
4. Collaboration/working together
It’s obvious that we need to work with others and reach common ground.
If you don’t keep an open mind and listen to compromise with the other person, nothing will ever get resolved.
The end goal is to get what is most important to you and the other person will do the same.
5. Problem solving
Not many negotiations go as planned or are smooth. So you need to e able to problem solve on the fly.
This is why you need to actively listen and understand everything being said.
6. Decision-making
You have to be able to make decisions, right or wrong.
Create a list of everything you want and another for those things you are willing to compromise. Then check the boxes off to stay on track and make reasonable decisions.
Making sound decisions will result in a more plausible negotiation.
Conclusion
We negotiate almost every day of our lives whether it’s as work, in life with others, and with ourselves.
Having sound negotiation skills is important in building relationships with others, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.
Learn and practice these skills and you will be more productive as well.
Keep in mind, negotiation skills are always under construction. There is always room for improvement.
Take care and Think Me First 
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