There are so many books and articles on negotiations in the market. After reading so many of such books, i come to distill one important aspect to winning negotiations. We need to listen attentively. Whether you are negotiating a million-dollar deal, selling to customers, providing customer service, dealing with spouse, recruitment or even simply just trying to agree with a friend on where to go for dinner, the key to getting what you want is understanding the other party's perspective. We are talking about his point of view and what he cares about.
By finding out what is important to the other party will allow you to better understand his values in a way that will satisfy both his and your interests. Once you take the time and effort to do so, you will be able to use that knowledge to influence their actions. The whole strategy is to get into someone else's head to find out what makes them nod. In order to do so, we need to be very good listener because people will tell us what they care about only if we listen.
To improve our Listening Skills, you can use the following tips:
A) Listen more than speak
We learn this since school days - The less you speak, The more information you will gather. Always allow for pauses. It is not a bad thing when the other party pauses, as he may be rec0llecting his thoughts to tell you more important things.
B) Ask lots of questions
Most people loves to talk. As such, we shall ask open-ended questions such as "who", "what", "when", "where" and "why". This encourage others to tell you what they are really thinking.
C) Focus
We must concentrate on the other person and be aware of everything such as what they say and what they do. By doing so, the other party will feel that we are really sincere to listen and help if we can.
D) Courtesy
Make sure not to interrupt when they are talking. Respond only when they are done. While they are talking, it is also important to nod or say "yes" or smiling.
E) Make them feel comfortable
We need to put people at ease and create a sense of belonging. If negotiations is in informal dining area, it is important to ask what they like to drink or eat. This shows that you care for their well-being.
F) Write short notes
We should not really on memory alone. As we have more appointments, we tend to forget about things that were mentioned previously. As such, we should take short notes during the meeting, Alternatively, we can jot down our recollection immediately after the meeting, in any case where the taking down of notes are not appropriate. By writing notes, the other party may feel that you are really care about what he is saying.
G) Show care for others
People can easily feel whether we care for them or not in a conversation. By showing lots of care during the conversation, you will be gaining their cooperation and getting them to do what you want at the end.
To sum up, those 7 tips on better listening will also improve your negotiation skills. Now, you can negotiate on anything and be successful in every aspect of your life.
