How to Become a Master Negotiator with Data, Research, and Other Techniques

We negotiate every day of our lives. We negotiate our salaries, fight for promotions, and try to make that big sale at work.  We negotiate with clients, customers, coworkers, bosses, and even our spouses. The truth is, being able to negotiate well can heavily impact your life and your career. Persuasion isn’t just for leaders in a company, it’s an important skill we all must have to put ourselves on the path to success.

We know that convincing someone to support your point of view can be tricky. Luckily there are a few things you can do to make the process easier. Here you will find a few common issues negotiators face today, along with seven helpful negotiation techniques.

Negotiation Issues

Lack of trust – One of the biggest roadblocks to successful negotiation in the workplace is that people simply don’t trust each other. There is this idea that you, as the negotiator, are just looking for a win – which automatically puts people on the defensive. Trust is built slowly over time, and negotiators often don’t have that luxury. 

Harvard Business Review compiled a list of six strategies all negotiators can use to help build trust at the bargaining table. 

Emotions get in the way – We tend to think about how much we like or dislike the person we’re negotiating with, rather than thinking objectively about the topic at hand. We let our emotions and intuition sway our decision-making abilities.

According to Forbes, “decisions are influenced by our memory of past event experiences and the feelings that we had during those events. Emotion, then, sneaks in every so subtly. It influences the entire cognitive milieu of the decision-making process.” 

People shy away from negotiations – To put it simply, most people don’t enjoy the negotiation process! Salary.com surveyed 2,000 people and found that most people don’t negotiate due to fear or lack of skills. They discovered that 48% of people said they are always apprehensive when it comes to salary negotiations and 18% of people never negotiate their salary.

Tackle the Issues with Data

All three of the negotiation issues mentioned above can easily be overcome if you have the right attitude and data to support your points. People are more likely to trust you if you discuss facts, not opinions, and back up your argument with data. And, people are more likely to act rationally if they have accurate facts and figures presented to them. Fear of negotiation can be squashed by doing simple research and gathering benchmark data. The more knowledge you have, the more leverage you have to negotiate like a pro.

Helpful Techniques

Listen first – Understand your audience and what they want. It’s not about you, it’s about them. When you want to persuade someone to agree with you, you need to identify what the other person values. In order to gain their support, you must deliver your message in a communication style they understand, talk to them at a time that works best for them, and meet in an environment where they feel comfortable. Remember, there is no substitute for preparation and practice. It is crucial that you take the time to fully understand where your audience is coming from.

Become an expert – You need to do your research and become an expert on the issue or topic you are negotiating. Once you become the ‘master’ of the change you want to implement, you’ll be ready to field any questions your audience may have. You’ll come off as knowledgable, prepared, and not afraid to put in a little hard work. It also shows that this negotiation is important to you and worth your audience’s time.

Highlight cooperation – Start by setting the tone in a positive, confident and genuine way. Don’t approach negotiations guarded and secretive. Discuss the need for effective collaboration and cooperation, and share the information you plan to cover. Your demeanor should convey a desire to be open and understand other points of view.

Show joint value – Let your audience know what’s in it for them. Make them feel like if they agree with you, the result will be mutually beneficial. Persuasion is about creating a situation that lets two or more people find common ground and beliefs. If you approach a negotiation with good intentions, plenty of helpful information, an open ear, and proof of value for all parties involved – you’re setting yourself up for success.

Use data – Stepping into negotiations armed with data that appropriately supports your message is helpful. The right data can be a powerful persuasion tool. Spreadsheets are useful, but you should take it a step further and visualize your data. You don’t want your audience focused on a bunch of numbers when they should be focusing on your points. Online data visualization tools like Infogram make it easy to create charts and graphs that make your data engaging and memorable. 

Learn the 7 magic words – “What I might be willing to consider is…” This is a fun tip from negotiation expert Dr. Richard Kaye. When you utter those seven words, you haven’t actually agreed to anything. What you have done is lay the foundation for a little give and take. Even if you and your audience are on complete opposite sides of an issue, this phrase gives an emotional response that moves both sides closer to a potential partnership.

Follow up – Follow up as soon as possible with any questions or comments that have been made. Quickly reaching out to your audience helps you identify obstacles or challenges, and brings you closer to finding a solution.  After each discussion send a follow up message that articulates the positions of each party. It shows you were listening carefully and saves time that might otherwise be spent re-hashing points, ultimately leading you to a speedier conclusion.