Matias Campiani is a known professional in the world of private equity and venture capital. One of is key skills is in negotiations. He believes this is one of the most important things any manager should develop in terms of soft skills. Here, he looks at the most effective negotiation skills that someone can possess.
Key Negotiation Skills According to Matias Campiani
The first is to always be alert. True negotiators can challenge everything and must be incredibly assertive. They know that challenging does not mean they must refuse any offer, but rather that they can analyze everything that is put on the table and ask the right questions. A good negotiator knows how to use “I” messages. Using the word I make someone sound a lot more assertive.
Furthermore, they have to be excellent listeners. Campiani compares negotiation skills with those of a detective. it is very important to ask a probing question and truly listen to The Answer. Learning to hear what other people say, instead of simply wanting to pass a message on, could help to resolve many problems. Indeed, company always follows the 70/30 rule, which means only 30% of this time is used for speaking.
Then, good negotiators must always be prepared. Before entering any negotiation, they must already have a baseline of understanding of what the needs and pressures of all parties are and which options are on the table. It is about having the gift of foresight.
Additionally, good negotiators set incredibly high targets. They want to achieve nothing but the best. Only those who expect many things deliver many things. This also means the negotiators must be optimistic, while not being afraid to ask for more than what they would be happy with.
Naturally, negotiators must be patient. There is nothing as rigid as time, so those on the schedule are not flexible enough to truly negotiate. Focusing on time makes people reckless instead of considering all the options. And that is true for both sides of the argument.
Furthermore, a negotiator must always remain focused on satisfaction. There goal should be to have the other side end up satisfied with the results. In order for someone to be satisfied, their most important interests and needs must be met period interests and needs are not the same as desires, however. A negotiator is able to differentiate between those
Next, a negotiator will never make the first move, nor will they accept the first offer. Indeed, this is where the negotiation role becomes really difficult. Never should a concession be made easily and a true Negotiator also knows when to walk away. No matter how optimistic someone is, there are situations in which ago cannot be achieved and a true negotiator knows how to recognize that and move on.
With these skills, anyone should be able to become a good negotiator. That said, these skills may look easy on paper, they are actually incredibly hard to master. Campiani believes that, with training, they can be learned, however.
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