Chapter 58 Persuasion Skills in Negotiations

Negotiation is in some ways a demanding art of persuasion.The general persuasion technique presupposes a premise that you can either persuade the other party or you cannot persuade the other party, and the other party generally will not persuade you in turn.But when negotiating, due to the equal status of the negotiating parties, what you need to do is to convince the other party before the other party convinces you. Many people believe that it is too difficult to persuade opponents in negotiations because the conflict of interests between the two parties is so fierce.To solve this problem, let me give a small example:

A colleague and I were on a business trip to Manhattan.When we were eating breakfast, because there was still a lot of time left after ordering, my colleagues went out to buy newspapers.About 10 minutes later, he came back empty-handed and seemed to be cursing someone. "What's going on?" I asked him. "Damn!" he replied, "I went to that newsstand across the street to buy a paper, and when I got the paper, I handed the guy $10. He didn't take my money, but took my The papers were taken away. He then lectured me that his job was not to find money for people during rush hour.”

"It's really unpleasant," I said. "This insolent guy!" continued the colleague. "I bet a tantrum like him would never exchange $10." "Although I don't like to bet with people," I said, "I am willing to accept this challenge. I will go to negotiate with the boss later." So, after I finished eating, I went to the newsstand that my colleague mentioned, while he was watching at the door of the hotel.When the newsstand owner noticed me, I said to him in a timid out-of-towner voice, "Excuse me, sir. I wonder if you could do me a favor."

The boss asked casually, "What's the matter?" "I'm an out-of-towner," I said, "and I need a copy of The New York Times, but all I have is a $10 bill. What do I do?" Before I could finish speaking, the other party handed me a newspaper and said, "Take it, it's not a big deal!" My colleague, who witnessed the event, later called it the "miracle on 54th Street." Many negotiators, like my colleagues, find it difficult to persuade others when negotiating.They all imagined their negotiating opponents to be too stubborn.I have said many times to the students in my Carnegie eloquence training class: "It is not difficult, it just requires skill."

indeed so.Since both negotiating parties have sat at the negotiating table, they must have common interests.Both parties know that if they want the other party to meet their own requirements, then they must also meet the other party's requirements.In order to achieve the purpose of persuading others, you just need certain skills. So, what persuasion skills do negotiators need?The following are some of the more important methods: Before that, you have already had a certain understanding of your negotiating opponent; and in the process of negotiation, I believe you have also gained a better understanding of your opponent.On this basis, you must first determine his needs, and then persuade him according to his needs.

Only when you tell the other party that your opinion can meet the needs of the other party, will it be easier for the other party to accept it.Everyone is only interested in themselves - especially in negotiations.All his acts of kindness may be so that you can meet his needs.Therefore, this point is particularly important. If the opponent's strength is strong enough, they may not have much interest in those small profits.Large companies or powerful people generally pay more attention to brand or honor.Therefore, try to meet the requirements of the other party in these aspects, which may be of great benefit to your persuasion.And if the strength of the other party is small, he needs more practical benefits, and he often cares more about price, value and service.Only by adopting different strategies for negotiating opponents with different strengths can they gain the recognition of the other party to the greatest extent.

Trust is the first and most important step in getting the other party to agree with you, especially for new negotiators.Try to eliminate the other party's distrust and eliminate the other party's worries or fears, which will make it easier for you to persuade the other party. Try to find what you have in common, even if it's personal to the negotiator. This will bring you closer to each other and keep the other party from resisting your ideas.You can find out some commonalities between you and the other party's positions, interests, and many opinions, which will make it easier to narrow the psychological distance between each other.In addition, common interests should always be your focus, so keep emphasizing this during the negotiation process.

Use a polite and humble attitude to persuade the other party, and don't belittle or even deny the other party's opinion just because your point of view is better.Before you convince the other party, what you need is respect for the other party, not just expressing your opinion. No matter how stupid the other person's opinion may be, take your attitude to heart and not show it.You should compliment the other person's opinions and find some positive points in them before speaking your own mind.Don't accuse the other person of making a mistake. This will only make him insist on his own opinions instead of listening to you.In addition, in negotiations, it is best not to use negative language.