Negotiating: 6 Tips for Success! Not Just for Agents.

There are any things to consider in negotiating and many skills you need to have BEFORE you even begin. I have thought about this long and hard, and there are certain elements that will make anyone a master of the craft if they can master the elements.

• First. Know What You are Worth. You need to know exactly what you are offering the other side and what they want and need. This means researching all the potential benefits and ways that your idea, product and/or service could help the other party, whether it is solve a problem, increase earning potential or simply make their life or business more convenient and enjoyable. Figure out how to adapt your situation to meet their needs or provide benefits while not compromising your own goal. This takes time, effort, forethought and sometimes research, but it is well worth it when it’s clear to the other party that you not only understand their needs, but you also seek to structure an agreement that’s in their direct best interest as well.
• Second. Relationships. Relationship management is the key to showing the other party who you are as an individual, what you can do, where your values lie and how the deal at hand will benefit everyone involved. You learn about them; they learn about you - it’s a two way street. When people feel as though they know and trust you, the will take your advice and deals will close easily. The important part is that they trust you for a reason. Don't fake the relationship, it has to be honest. From those relationships come new ones: referrals and buyers or sellers because you are recommended with the words trust.
• Third. Take Your Vision and Inspire Others With It. Getting people on board with your plan can be a difficult task, especially when there is a decent amount of risk. A critical step in artful deal making is to convey and articulate your vision of the outcome in such a way that the opposing party will desire that outcome for themselves. The "WIIFM’ - "what’s in it for me" - factor must be made crystal clear to the other party as you present your position. Of course, to do this effectively, you must first understand what the vision of the other party is likely to be when you start negotiating. This allows you to integrate ideas so that visions are combined and melted together to create one.
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  Fourth. Be Humble. Be humble but firm and you will be effective. There is a fine line you are dealing with when you are working with people who have already achieved success. Always respect the positions of the other people involved in your negotiations, no matter how badly, or not, you want the deal. It’s important to be fair and honest about the negotiation and to keep your intentions pure. You also need to showcase with quantifiable examples that you put 100 percent effort behind everything you do. At the same time, you must express genuine respect and appreciation for what the other parties have done and who they are - even if they’re, well, jerks. Even a jerk can grow to appreciate, respect and ultimately benefit you, and once that two - way street is established (relationship building!) negotiations can ensure and deals can be made. Humility with backbone. It’s a tricky combination to maintain, but one that’s absolutely mission critical.
• Fifth. Finesse. Every deal takes a great amount of finesse. This is where you get to have fun and allow your personality to shine. It means being able to explore different angles and try the somewhat weird and wacky - maybe even a bit of the fearless and crazy. It’s problem solving with a twist. When finesse comes into play, the parties genuinely like each other and all sides look for ways to make sure the deal becomes a reality. Develop it, let it flow and have fun trying it. Before you know it, you’ll be finessing your deals, too.
• Sixth. Swagger. Swagger is an attitude. If finesse is about problem solving and outside - the - box thinking, then swagger is about having commanding and authoritative disposition and demeanor but without being pretentious or arrogant. It’s about knowing how good you are and hinting at what you are capable of but without being cocky. Swagger is a spirited characteristic that you possess and radiate without ever compromising your integrity or sacrificing your general likability. In a deal - making situation, your swagger should exude confidence, success and fearlessness. Hit the right notes with your swagger, and you’ll walk away with what you want.