A handful of personal characteristics and social attributes contribute to successful negotiations. Just like world class sport stars, good negotiators spend significant time analyzing the way that they negotiate - particularly under pressure.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD NEGOTIATOR 

BECOME A GREAT ONE?

NEVER FEAR TO NEGOTIATE BUT DON"T NEGOTIATE OUT OF FEAR

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes a world class negotiator?What are the key characteristics that helped to determine the negotiation success of Henry Kissinger (the middle east crisis in the 70’s) or Sardar Vallabhai Patel (post independence merger of princely Indian states) A handful of personal characteristics and social attributes contribute to successful negotiations. Nobody has all the traits of a world-class negotiator, but these skills are worth developing if you hope to improve your negotiation skills and your life.

1.     GOOD NEGOTIATORS HAVE A WIN-WIN ATTITUDE. 

The best way to achieve this is to look at the sale from the other party’s perspective. What are their risks, hesitations, concerns? By determining those before you reach the negotiating table, you can better create win-win solutions for both sides.

2.     BI-FOCUL LENS TO VIEW BIG PICTURE AND NITTY GRITYY.

Probably the most critical characteristic of world class negotiators is their ability to understand what it is that all parties to the negotiation want. The ability to see past the 'demands' of your counterparties and really understanding why it is that they are negotiating with you is an essential element that will help you to understand what common ground exists between parties.

Equally important is to understand all the individual elements that will ensure the adoption and implementation of an agreement by all the parties. The key tool at your disposal to facilitate an understanding of both the big picture and the supporting detail is the effective use of questioning.

3.     GOOD BUSINESS SENSE AND REALISM:

Great sales negotiators get a good read on what might happen and what might not. They understand what's in the field of play and what's beyond. They make good decisions, and offer trades and ideas, that often work. Realistic negotiators are also less prone to reacting negatively when they don't get what they want or think they deserve.

4.     THE RULE OF RECIPROCITY AS BOTH ETHICS AND TACTICS

A common misconception is that in order to be a tough negotiator one has to be a rude negotiator. One can be tough on the issues whilst treating the people involved with dignity at all times.

The rule of reciprocity states that we will return to others the form of behavior exhibited towards us. It is folly to think that we can run roughshod over other without them resorting to means to reclaim their dignity. Remember that very often victims become aggressors.

5.     DEVOTING TIME TO STRUCTURED PREPARATION.

The success of your negotiations will depend in large part on the quality of your preparation. We often make the mistake of thinking that we don't have enough time to spend on preparing for negotiations. Our research indicates that the primary contributor to eliminating misunderstandings & shortening the negotiation cycle - therefore saving you time - is the quality of your preparation.

You will most definitely benefit significantly from your upfront investment in preparation - try to spend at least as much time preparing for negotiations as you expect to be involved in actual negotiation - ideally spend as much as 3 times more time in preparation as you expect to be involved in actual negotiation.

6.     WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT & CREATE OPTIONS

Negotiating is a very dynamic process because no two people are alike. What works extremely well in one situation can backfire in another. That's why great negotiators practise using a variety of concepts and techniques. They experiment with different strategies, solutions, and tactics. And a small failure does not prevent them from experimenting with new ideas in the future. What a lot of people would like to describe as business negotiation is often no more than one dimensional haggling about price. Our research suggests that more than 50% of negotiators struggle to create or uncover options outside of this one dimension.

7.     EMOTIONAL CONTROL  WITH  ARMTWISTING ADVERSARIES

Sellers can get excited when negotiations seem to be going well. After all, they're close to a sale. Conversely, some lose their focus and temper when things take a wrong turn. Sales negotiators who control emotions can remain in control of the negotiation. If you can't, the other party can easily take control just by pushing your buttons.

8.     HAS THE ABILITY TO WALK AWAY. 

Most small business owners put themselves in a position where they’re unwilling to walk away from a sale because they feel they desperately need it. This is a mistake. When you hold that mindset, a customer has a better chance of taking advantage of you. “Every deal has to make good business sense,”

9.  INDIFFERENCE TO A FAILED NEGOTIATION:

This is more than just a willingness to walk away from an agreement that leaves you with unfavorable terms. True indifference means you really don't care—and while you might "want" the deal, you certainly don't "need" it. Another good one is always around the corner. If this is your belief, it's like having built-in leverage in the negotiation.

CONCLUSION

 Continuously develop your skills. Just like world class sport stars, good negotiators  spend significant time analyzing the way that they negotiate - particularly under pressure.

 It is only once you have built an understanding of your own weaknesses & strengths that you can implement measures to improve your negotiated outcomes. World class negotiators never stop refining their skills because they realize that one can never reach perfection. The world within which we negotiate today can often seem much more complex for the global Indian businessman crossing boundaries of caste creed and culture.