Chapter 30 Chapter 30 The Seven Abilities of Business Negotiation

The business ability of a manager's negotiation is the synthesis of various knowledge and abilities, and it is an important condition for him to play a full role in the negotiation and manage various complex situations.The negotiating business ability of managers should mainly be manifested in the following aspects. The process of negotiating between managers is actually a contest of knowledge and abilities between the two parties. The fields of knowledge involved in negotiations are extremely extensive, such as economics, law, finance, marketing, logistics, finance, psychology, public relations and other disciplines are very much needed.In trade negotiations for certain products and technologies, specialized technical knowledge is also required.

In international negotiations, good knowledge of foreign languages ​​and international politics, economics, and laws is even more essential. Therefore, to deal with complex negotiations, managers are required to have extensive knowledge of social sciences and natural sciences, as well as to have a deep understanding of the technical characteristics, cost estimates, industry characteristics and market trends of relevant products, and to understand the requirements and intentions of negotiating opponents, etc. . Of course, meeting the demand for multi-faceted knowledge should rely on the collective wisdom of the negotiation organization, and each manager should master more relevant knowledge as soon as possible during his growth process, which is a necessary preparation for developing his talents.

Keen insight is the basis for other abilities such as analysis, judgment, imagination and foresight. Only with insight can we be prepared and observe subtle changes in the negotiation situation in detail, and capture a large amount of valuable negotiation information; only then can we quickly grasp the real intentions of the negotiating opponent, and analyze and synthesize them based on the information we have and the speech and behavior of the other party on the spot. Make reasonable judgments; be able to be flexible and changeable on the negotiating table where the two sides confront each other according to the economic strength of the two parties; and be able to correctly judge the development trend of the negotiation according to the internal and external environment of the negotiation and subjective and objective conditions.

In negotiations, we must be good at observing words and expressions.Gestures, actions and other body language convey information, which is sometimes difficult for the sender to control. Because language itself is sent out purposefully and consciously by people, and although people can also consciously control gestures and actions, they are mostly carried out unconsciously or subconsciously.The information conveyed by this silent language is more sensitive than the information conveyed by the spoken language. The silent language should not be underestimated, but the spoken language should be paid more attention to.Listening in negotiation is the main means and way for negotiators to understand and grasp the other party's position.Only after clearly understanding the true meaning of the other party's position and point of view, can we correctly put forward our own policies and countermeasures.

At the same time, it is necessary to be able to make correct and rapid judgments on the information seen and heard.Otherwise, turning a blind eye and hearing but not hearing will have no effect.Therefore, it is of great significance to make analysis and judgment on the information seen and heard. Formal negotiations, like combat, are endlessly varied.Therefore, there must be a comprehensive consideration in advance, and it is necessary to be able to foresee various situations and various results that may arise in the negotiation from all aspects. Once you decide to negotiate, you have to start overall planning and design.

Negotiations include active invitations and passive responses. When taking the initiative to invite, the negotiator must formulate the highest goal and the scope and principles of the negotiation; every team member participating in the negotiation must thoroughly understand the goal and how to apply it, and use flexible skills to complete the task. In the case of a passive challenge, it is necessary to consider whether there are other alternatives, so as not to be forced to compromise. The representative presiding over the negotiation must be the person who commands the overall situation, just like the supreme commander of the combat force, he must have strategic awareness, long-term vision, plan strategies, be good at deciding on the deployment of troops in advance according to the severity of the content of the negotiation and the level of the object, and which one to talk about first. Let’s talk about which one later, how the members of the negotiating team will divide their work and how to cooperate. They must have a plan in advance, so that they can be well-thought-out, and bring the entire negotiation process into the ambush circle that they have arranged in advance.

The starting point and destination of negotiations are economic interests, and the entire negotiation process is actually a process of continuous calculation and adjustment of interests. Therefore, managers must have rich accounting knowledge and accounting skills, and be proficient in various economic indicators of related products, such as cost, price difference between purchase and sale, expense level, capital turnover rate, etc., and be able to negotiate with various plans. Have your own bottom line, you can advance and retreat freely. Managers with a considerable level of accounting should not only focus on the short-term interests, but also focus on the long-term best interests when calculating their economic interests, showing their bearing and style; Accounting is closely integrated with the market conditions faced by the enterprise; if the product quality is indeed superior and enjoys a high reputation in the minds of consumers, the price will not be easily compromised in the negotiation; and when the market competition is fierce, price wars occur frequently , in order to expand market share and try to win as many customers as possible, they should be willing to make necessary concessions on price and retreat as advance.

Managers should pay close attention to the possible changes in the market and make correct analysis and judgment at any time, so as to apply them in the practice of negotiation.Facts have proved that when the market for a certain commodity or service is still in a vague situation, the person who can first make a correct analysis and judgment can take the initiative and win greater benefits. At the same time, managers should also analyze and judge their negotiating opponents.Experienced managers can quickly and accurately analyze their business scale, capital situation, purchase and sales situation, management level and reputation through various phenomena, including exaggeration, false appearances, and shaming, etc. used by opponents through meetings. situation.In particular, the analysis of its purchase and sales situation and its judgment on product demand or supply will largely determine the opponent's attitude in the negotiation, which is an important basis for formulating corresponding negotiation strategies.Experienced negotiators should grasp the other party's personal situation and make analysis and judgment in daily contact, especially know the knowledge, experience, personality, temperament, hobbies and characteristics of the main negotiator.This is of great benefit to the smooth handling of various emergencies and the control of the negotiation process.

On the negotiating table, the negotiating parties are arguing for their own interests, and the interests of each party are very specific. With the changes in the strength of the two parties and the progress of the negotiations, the negotiation process may undergo major changes.At this time, if the manager is stubborn and sticks to the rules, then the negotiation will either reach a deadlock, delay the negotiation opportunity, or lead to a breakdown, leading to the failure of the negotiation.Negotiators, on the other hand, should be good at adapting to changes in time, place, and events, so that they can resolve deadlocks at the ever-changing negotiating table like a fish in water.

Profound knowledge is the premise of adapting to changes, therefore, we can respond to all changes with the same, stay calm in the face of danger, and be calm and composed. Managers must not only have good professional basic knowledge, be familiar with the relevant professional content involved in negotiations, have a deep understanding of business and related laws, but also need to master rich and diverse knowledge.Sometimes, negotiations are not limited to business, technology, and legal aspects, and may also involve other aspects such as geography, culture, and customs.This requires negotiators to have various knowledge and skills to deal with.

Decision-making ability is an important ability in negotiation activities. The manager must be very familiar with the relevant situation of the negotiation project, be able to seize the opportunity according to the change of the negotiation situation, and make decisive and correct decisions.After the managers have negotiated and discussed the specific content of the transaction, they enter the decision-making stage. Whether to sign a contract or not to sign a contract requires the manager to make a decision. The decision-making ability of managers is directly related to their self-confidence. Managers who have strong self-confidence, deal with problems quickly and decisively, and dare to take risks have relatively strong decision-making ability; otherwise, they are weak.The duration of the decision-making process can also reflect the difference in people's decision-making ability. Generally speaking, a person with prudent behavior may take a long time to make a decision, and may even consider it over and over again, but once a decision is made, he will not hesitate and resolutely implement it. People with poor decision-making ability take longer to make decisions, always hesitate and repeat, and are not sure about their decisions. The strength of the decision-making ability should also be analyzed according to the decision-making results and the content considered in the decision-making. When a person decides to do something or not to do something, and it turns out that he is often right, then his decision-making ability is relatively strong. Decision-making ability is not just the performance of a certain aspect of human ability. To some extent, it is a comprehensive manifestation of human abilities.It is based on people's observation, attention, and analysis, and the ability to use critical thinking and logical reasoning to make decisions.Therefore, in cultivating and exercising the decision-making ability of negotiators, we must pay attention to the balanced development of various abilities. People with strong attention and observation skills do not necessarily have good thinking and judgment skills. People with good memory may be less creative and adaptable. However, if you want to improve your decision-making ability and make correct and decisive decisions, you need to use all aspects of your ability. Therefore, negotiators should consciously, purposefully cultivate and exercise poorer abilities, so that the development of various abilities tends to be balanced. Accurate and ingenious language expression ability is the concrete embodiment of the artistic style of negotiation. For managers, being able to state their positions and opinions, provide information, exchange feelings, and persuade each other in accurate and standardized language is the minimum language expression requirement. An excellent negotiator must be as proficient in language as a language master, and strengthen the artistic effect of negotiation through the appeal of language. If the speech is ambiguous, inaccurate, improperly worded, or incoherent, incoherent, and logically confused, it will affect the communication and exchange between negotiators, and it is also a taboo for negotiators to speak. Poor language expression skills will not only fail to express one's own views and requirements well, but also fail to persuade the other party well, and may even cause the other party's resentment, and will be considered a poor negotiator.In many cases, obstacles to negotiations are caused by language barriers. Negotiations are expensive, and managers must be able to master language skillfully. Appropriate negotiating language can make a promise, and it is powerful.In essence, negotiation is the process of talking, which is composed of a series of questions. The negotiating parties asked each other many questions and answered each other.Asking a question is equal to a request; answering a question is actually a certain degree of concession, or an opportunity to make a concession.In the process of question and answer, the matter is deepened and the agreement is reached. A manager should also be an excellent language artist. At the negotiating table, in order to try to avoid confrontation, the negotiating language must be strategic. Negotiation is a battle of words.Ordinarily, negotiations are about things and not people. However, in this kind of language confrontation, due to impatience or intentional embarrassment, the opponent often extends the negotiation from dealing with the matter and not to the person to dealing with the matter and the person. At this time, the manager's good psychological endurance will play a role. If there are difficult or anxious things during the negotiation, such as when the negotiating opponent is red-faced, if one's own side is also full of complaints and abnormal excitement, it will easily lead to the breakdown of the negotiation. At this time, you might as well be patient, give a cold treatment, and let the other party vent first, the effect may be much better. Of course, a good psychological endurance is not just accommodating blindly. This is a battle of resilience, a counterattack that is reasonable, advantageous, and restrained.