How to Negotiate Powerfully and Successfully in Any Area of Your Life

No matter what industry you’re in, there will inevitably be times when you must negotiate the terms of an agreement or contract with someone, whether that’s an employer asking you to work overtime on occasion or you’re making an offer to buy a house from someone. Learning how to negotiate powerfully and successfully can help put you in the driver’s seat in any negotiation and help guarantee that you get everything that you want—or at least as much as possible. With these strategies, you can develop negotiation power in any area of your life and become comfortable working on your own terms at all times.

Define what you want

Often, you will find that the best way to get what you want is by getting others to give it to you. Here are some tips for developing strong negotiation skills:
-Do your research. Know what the other person wants or needs. The more information you have, the better chance you have at coming up with a solution that satisfies both parties.
-Be willing to walk away from the negotiation. This is especially true if they aren’t willing to work with you on anything or try any other solutions (e.g., if they refuse your offer). Walking away can be one of your strongest negotiating tools because it makes them realize how important this is for you and how hard they’ll have to work if they want this deal too.

Do your research

Negotiation is the most important skill you can develop. It will help you get the salary you deserve, get a better deal on a home or car, or even just win an argument. The skills required for successful negotiation are: 1) being able to articulate your position clearly and persuasively; 2) demonstrating that you understand the other person’s position; 3) recognizing when it makes sense to negotiate as opposed to fighting (or fleeing); 4) understanding what the other person wants; 5) building trust with the other person; 6) negotiating fairly by making sure each side gets something they want out of it. The best way to build these skills is through practice.

Find the other person’s motivation

What are your motivations for wanting to learn how to negotiate? Do you want more money? A better work-life balance? More time with family or friends? To be more confident at work? Whatever your reasons, it’s important that you’re honest with yourself about them.
Do you have a specific goal in mind? If not, it can help to figure out what you want out of the negotiation before beginning. For instance, if money is your number one priority but other priorities like family, health and career advancement rank higher on the list, then you may decide that negotiating for a raise at work is the best way forward.
It’s also important that you know what motivates the other party – who will be sitting across from you during negotiations.

Be prepared to compromise

If you want to be successful in any area of your life, you have to know how to compromise. The key is finding a balance between what you want and what the other person wants. There’s no such thing as an all-or-nothing situation. You may need someone else’s help, or maybe it’s time for a fresh perspective. Whatever the case may be, compromising will always be necessary for success.

Don’t be afraid to walk away

It can be hard to know when it’s time to walk away from a negotiation. When you feel like the stakes are too high, or the odds are stacked against you, it can be easy to give up. But this is a mistake. Here’s why:
1) You’ll miss out on opportunities 2) You’ll never know when your next chance will come 3) If you don’t try now, how will you ever get better?
So if something doesn’t feel right – don’t do it. If someone is asking for more than what seems reasonable – walk away. If a decision would cause significant harm down the line – rethink your course of action. The best thing about negotiating is that there’s always another option waiting for you just around the corner.