Effective negotiation doesn’t have to be a trade-off between getting the best outcome and being well-liked. Experts say there are strategies you can use to have it both ways:
- Establish a rapport with small talk
- Don’t make concessions to avoid tension
- Look for ways to frame the issue other than confrontation
- Highlight the areas of common ground
- Ask questions about the other side
- Try to put yourself in the opposing position.
Using these techniques to build an understanding while still being firm on issues important to you can help what could be an adversarial process become a joint problem-solving challenge, where both parties are invested in a mutually-beneficial outcome. Remember not to mistake someone else’s demands as a slight or insult, and instead ask questions about motivations and constraints to better understand where negotiations can move.
Excellent advice. Thanking you for the reminder that a bit of small talk is not a negative thing.
Too many buyers and sellers, and even agents, enter a negotiation with an “us against them” mentality. If it were more of a “how can everyone finish satisfied” approach, things will go smoother. Even when a market is out of balance, its the better approach. Am I stating the obvious?
I agree! It seems to me, after being a REALTOR for 38 years, dealing with other agents is the hardest part of the business. What a shame.
I agree with you!
When negotiating back & forth don’t pack up your tent & go home so fast. Sometimes the buyer & seller need to bounce it back & forth before coming to an agreement. ALSO, It can be a “win win” if the agents would try to do that. It seems to me, after being a REALTOR for 38 years, dealing with other agents is the hardest part of the business. What a shame.