Often less skilled negotiators don't take the time to study their own and the other party's interests and needs. They don't focus on their and other's concerns and don't know what a good resolution of those concerns would be. Good negotiators need to have parameters to work within.
Another common pitfall is that negotiators assume they're the only one who has something to lose. All parties have something to lose and gain. We assume that we're the needy ones. We need to spend some time studying the other party to understand their potential losses and gains.
Often, less skilled negotiators don't listen to the other party. They spend more time persuading and less time listening. Negotiators must feel as though they have been heard and understood (Richard, 2000).
Negotiation is a form of communication that has been used for thousands of years. This is a basic way of getting what you want from others. The ideal negotiator should have a high tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty as well as the open-mindedness to test his own assumptions and the opponent's intentions.
To become a good negotiator one must be strong mentally and also have courage to learn from others.
The better negotiator one becomes the more power they behold.
Understanding the Players Involved
No negotiation can be successful without a clear understanding of what each person involved hopes to gain. The seller, often a sales representative for equipment or other vendors, must understand what each person at the plant level wants (Richard, 2000). The project manager wants the products delivered on time and he/she wants the project completed under budget. The purchasing manager wants the best price...period. The process engineer wants only a product that will do its job and help he/she avoid down time that they will be responsible for.....
